


Love is Magical

by SonicPossible00



Series: Suite Love Life [1]
Category: Suite Life, Suite Life of Zack & Cody
Genre: BDSM, Cunnilingus, Cute, Disney, Disney Channel, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Lesbian Romance, Lesbian Sex, Romance, Scissoring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-23
Updated: 2016-02-23
Packaged: 2018-05-22 19:38:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 68,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6091858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonicPossible00/pseuds/SonicPossible00
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maddie loves London and London loves Maddie, but they are both afraid of telling their true feelings for one another. With the help of Zack, Cody and others, along with a new guest, both girls will know that love is something really magical. - 1st part of The Suite Love Life of London and Maddie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. S.O.S Tipton

**Before I start this story, I just want you to know that I do not own any of the characters or any kind copyrights to The Suite Life of Zack and Cody… they belong to Disney, because if I had any copyrights regarding the series or its characters I would definitely change a few things in it. Anyway, this story contains femslash, so anyone who does not enjoy reading about this genre, you're welcome to go back and choose another story. But this story is also a very fluffy story, and features London Tipton and Maddie Fitzpatrick as the main characters and well, it's my way to pay homage to the cutest couple in the show. I hope you all like it. Please, review… Well then, on with the show!**

* * *

  
**Chapter 1: S.O.S Tipton**

  
Seven past three in the afternoon, Maddie Fitzpatrick, who worked the candy counter of the Tipton Hotel in Boston, eyed the new guest heading for the main desk with undisguised envy. The person might have been a rock star, a television personality, or just incredibly wealthy by the way it dressed. Maddie could not care less. It was just one more person that reminded her of her lowly station in life.  
  
To be honest, she did enjoy working at this upscale hotel. Her paycheck was not much, but the working conditions were not bad, and she had made many friends ever since she started working there. But there were times, like that afternoon, that she hated working there. She would rather be one of those beautiful people having fun not clock watching and waiting for the day to end like she was doing at that precise moment.  
  
Sighing, she mentally shook her head and glanced at her watch again, two hours until her shift ended, time was really dragging that afternoon. She wished something exciting would happen but nothing ever did. Exciting things on that hotel only happened when she was having fun. Turning away, she went about tidying her work station even though it did not need it. A voice from behind her dragged her away from her boredom.  
  
"Hey, Maddie, how are you today?"  
  
A smile lit her face as she turned to greet one of the two 12-year old Martin twins, Cody. Their mother worked in the lounge as a singer, so he and his twin brother, Zack, lived in one of the apartment suites on the 23rd floor of that grand hotel. It was common for her to see the twins about the hotel most days. It was rather strange to see Cody alone. She wondered where Zack might be as she said hello in return.  
  
"Hey yourself. Where's your brother?"  
  
"Don't know. I'm here to ask you that. Have you seen him today?"  
  
"Sorry, Cody, but he hasn't showed up here yet." –It was already a common ritual for Zack, who had a crush on Maddie, to stop by the candy counter and see how she was. "By the way, why are you looking for him?" She asked him, putting down the magazine and giving him her full attention.  
  
"He was supposed to meet me here then we'd go skating, but, obviously, he's late." he sighed, annoyed then a smirk pulled at his lips. "Think he might have managed to get himself arrested?" He asked, making her giggle.  
  
She giggled and shook her head. Zack was prone to getting into trouble because of his pension for playing practical jokes. "Naw, I doubt it. None of his tricks are enough to rate the police's attention."  
  
"That's because you don't know the amount of tricks he knows. Just when I think he's done a fantastic one, he tops it by coming up with an even bigger, more spectacular one." he declared.  
  
"You sound proud of him."  
  
"Nah, not proud, just know that one of these days his tricks are sure to send him to prison and I'll be the one paying his bail," he deadpanned, making Maddie laugh again, this time, harder than the first.  
  
It amazed her how the twins always managed to make her smile or laugh, even when she was feeling blue. Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by the sound of something crashing to the ground, a vase perhaps. The two of them looked across the lobby and saw Zack approaching. In his wake was Marion Moseby, the hotel's general manager.  
  
As Zack reached them and said casually, "That table needs to be placed somewhere else." Moseby reached his side and scowled, angrily.  
  
"Zack Martin, you've done it again!"  
  
"Oh come on, Mr. Moseby, that's just the third vase I broke and it was an accident."  
  
"Yes, the third vase this week. You have to be more careful with those things." Moseby snapped.  
  
"It's not my fault you keep putting vases on top of the same table. Maybe you should consider not putting anything on top of the table, or just move it to another place." –Zack said innocently.  
  
"Or maybe, you should stop skating in the lobby," Moseby said tightly. Shaking his head, he added, "Sometimes I wished you were a little more like your brother."  
  
"What does Cody have that I don't have?"  
  
"Responsibility, just for starters. He may be a troublemaker like you are, but at least, he takes responsibility for his acts… most of the times." Moseby grumbled, watching Zack pick up his skateboard, "If I catch you skating around the lobby again, I'll confiscate that skateboard of yours." He warned, then turned on his heel and stalked away.  
  
Zack shrugged and turned his attention to Maddie, flirting with her a bit, knowing his efforts were futile but enjoying the act anyway. The only thing he managed to get from Maddie was her usual statement of "wait until you've grown ten years older." Giving her a smirk, he pushed his brother toward the doors so they could go skateboarding in the nearby park, where Zack was sure to come up with yet another one of his tricks.  
  
Maddie smiled at their departing backs. She felt lucky to count them as friends. They made life less boring around there. If they were not around, the hotel would not be the same. Sighing, the lobby still empty and quiet of customers, she returned to reading her magazine. It wasn't too long afterward that another good friend of hers arrived by way of the hotel doors.  
  
It was London, the heiress of the Tipton Hotels chain and Maddie's best girl friend. Just like always, she was carrying bags and more bags in her hands, cheerfully smiling to everyone who passed by her. Maddie had no doubt that London had spent all day shopping. That thought pricked her with jealousy, and Maddie cursed her luck. While London could buy every blouse she saw, Maddie had to work to buy the one sweater that she thought would be perfect for her, though London would tell her that she had no fashion taste. As London stepped down the lobby stairs to speak with her, she had a brief wish that lightning would smite the brunette, right in front of her eyes.  
  
"Hey, Maddie!" London called cheerily, dropping her bags to the floor at her feet.  
  
"Hey, London…" Maddie said flatly. "So, how was your day?"  
  
"Oh, it was divine, Maddie. I went downtown and bought all the go-go boots that I could find in my favourite shoe store. According to the latest fashion bulletin, those boots are the highlight of this year's fashion. Then, I went to buy this cute blue and black sweater that I saw, which I think just matches my eye colour, and finally, I bought a new pair of sunglasses… my old pair were so yesterday, already." –She gushed, excitedly showing Maddie the new pair that she'd bought. "So what about you? What have you been doing?"  
  
"I've been here, working." Maddie said, sarcastically.  
  
"You sure work a lot, don't you?" London said, innocently.  
  
"That's what people usually do, London. Only people like you with money to burn, can go shopping everyday and buy anything and everything they see," Maddie said, tartly. "And some of us have to go to school to get better jobs," she added then groaned, "which is why I'm having a hard time being here, when I should be home, studying for the Literature test we have in two days."  
  
"Two days? Test? I thought we did not have tests until next month!" London exclaimed, horrified. "Maddie, you have to help me! If I flunk that subject, my dad won't let me borrow the jet to go to Europe at the end of the month." She begged the blonde, shamelessly.  
  
Maddie loved having London beg her for help. Not because she was smarter than her, and she liked to brag about it, but because whenever she helped, London would usually give her a gift or anything that London felt that Maddie deserved. Smiling maliciously, she said, "Why should I help you, London?"  
  
"Because you're smart, and beautiful, well not as beautiful as I am, but still very beautiful, and because I really need your help, Maddie." London said, grabbing Maddie's hands. "Please, help me, please, please, please…"  
  
"Alright, I'll help you. Let me just call my mom and tell her I'll be spending the rest of the weekend with you, so I can help you with Literature," Maddie said, picking up her cell-phone and tapping her mom's number. "But you owe me, big time, London."  
  
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, Maddie." London gushed, jumping the counter then giving Maddie kisses all over her face. –"You're the bestest friend a girl can have!"  
  
Maddie just smiled. It was times like these she knew why she couldn't stay mad at London. No matter how selfish she could be sometimes, London had a heart of gold.


	2. Studying and Truth or Dare

Leaving Maddie, London took the nearest elevator up to her penthouse room on the 28th floor. Since she was young the Boston Tipton had been her home… she knew no other. That was because her family owned the Tipton Hotel making her the sole heiress of the Tipton business empire. And, though she traveled a great deal, shopping for fashions in all the capitols of the world, she was always glad to return home to that very special Tipton hotel.  
  
Her pooch, Ivana, a white Pomeranian, met her at the door. She ignored the dog except to say hello and went to her large and richly appointed bedroom, dropping her bags carelessly on the floor at the foot of the bed. Sighing, she flopped down on the queen sized bed, sitting up a second later when Ivana whined to be picked up. She leaned over and got a hold of the dog and placed Ivana next to her side then laid down again, closing her eyes and staying still for some minutes, one hand petting her dog. It was silent in the penthouse as usual. She knew she should put her things away in her huge wardrobe and lay out her study materials for later but she felt too lethargic to move right now. Perhaps a nap would be best.  
  
Rolling to her side, she kicked off her shoes and got comfortable. When Maddie's shift ended, London knew she would make her work hard on her Literature homework and prepare for the big test. She really liked Maddie. The girl was the kind of person one could count on and trust. They'd been friends since the first day Maddie began working at the Tipton.  
  
A smile flitted across London's face as she thought of all the stories she had to tell any children she might have about all the misadventures she and Maddie experienced during their youth and all the interesting and weird people they'd met along the way.  
  
"I'm really lucky to I have someone like Maddie, who's always there for me." London mused. "I hope she feels the same way about me, after all, I am her best friend."  
  
With that last thought lingering in her mind, London drifted off to sleep. Hours later, a knock on her penthouse door woke her up. Groggy, she dragged herself off the bed, nearly stumbled on the bags still on the floor and staggered out into the main living area to answer the door.  
  
Pulling it open, she saw Maddie standing there, one eyebrow raised, staring at her. The girl wasn't wearing her work clothes any longer having changed into an orange pull over sweater with black parallel stripes paired with black jeans and white tennis shoes. Her hair was in a simple ponytail. In one hand she held a book bag which London suspected held all her tools she needed for their study session.  
  
Eyeing her sleepy friend, Maddie smiled and asked easily, "Well, since you've obviously had a nap, I assume you're ready to study?"  
  
"Oh...yeah," London said inanely, mildly embarrassed. She stepped back so Maddie could enter. "So what did your mom say about you staying the rest of the weekend with me?"  
  
"She wasn't happy about it but when I told her you begged me for help in studying for the Literature test and that it would help me too, she relented. Still, you owe me big time for this, London."  
  
"And I'll be sure to show my thanks in every way I can think of," London assured her, smiling warmly.  
  
They walked over to the large comfortable white couch and sat down side by side. Maddie laid her bag on the white marble coffee table and began pulling books of all shapes and colors out, a writing tablet and pencils. London reached out and picked up a blue book that was rather thick and heavy. On the front cover was a huge black bird and the title said: Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe.  
  
"Pow? Our test is about a guy named Pow? What a funny name…" London laughed, mispronouncing the author's name.  
  
Maddie rolled her eyes "It's not Pow, London, it's Poe, Edgar Allan Poe, the master of the American macabre. He's the author of countless poems and horror stories, especially the most terrifying poem ever written, "The Raven", which supposedly sends shivers up your spine, whenever you read it out loud."  
  
"Surely you jest. Why don't you read it to me and I'll be the judge if it's that scary," London dared her. Though she'd never heard of this guy Poe, she did love hearing Maddie read. Her voice was beautiful to the listening ear and it helped London learn better when Maddie explained things.

_"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,_  
 _Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,_  
 _While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,_  
 _As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door._  
 _"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door-_  
 _Only this, and nothing more."_  
  
 _Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,_  
 _And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor._  
 _Eagerly I wished the morrow;-vainly I had sought to borrow_  
 _From my books surcease of sorrow-sorrow for the lost Lenore-_  
 _For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-_  
 _Nameless here for evermore._  
  
 _And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain_  
 _Thrilled me-filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;_  
 _So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,_  
 _"'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door-_  
 _Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;-_  
 _This it is, and nothing more."_  
  
 _Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,_  
 _"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;_  
 _But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,_  
 _And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,_  
 _That I scarce was sure I heard you"-here I opened wide the door;-_  
 _Darkness there, and nothing more._   
  
"What is this guy trying to do? Killing us of boredom? What's so scary about darkness, anyway?" –London interrupted rudely. Maddie shook her head, rolled her eyes and continued to read.  
  
 _Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,_  
 _Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;_  
 _But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,_  
 _And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore!"_  
 _This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!"-_  
 _Merely this, and nothing more._  
  
 _Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,_  
 _Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before._  
 _"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice:_  
 _Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore-_  
 _Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;-_  
 _'Tis the wind and nothing more."_  
  
 _Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,_  
 _In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore;_  
 _Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;_  
 _But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door-_  
 _Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door-_  
 _Perched, and sat, and nothing more._  
  
 _Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,_  
 _By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore._  
 _"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,_  
 _Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore-_  
 _Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"_  
 _Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."_  
  
"Okay, it is kinda scary and spooky. I really hate this poem. So isn't there anything else by this guy that isn't so morbid? You know, something a little friendlier like a doggy, or a kitty cat, or maybe a unicorn with a pink bow, instead of a spooky raven? And besides, who is this Lenore that he keeps talking about?" London interrupted Maddie again.  
  
Though she felt like bashing her friend's head in with the weighty book in her hands, she held her temper and said lightly, "No, London, Poe is the master of horror and macabre, and Lenore is the poem's character's deceased bride. And it doesn't matter if you hate it or not; this is what the test will be on so hush and listen already." London sighed and subsided. Finding where she'd stopped at, Maddie took up the task again.  
  
 _Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,_  
 _Though its answer little meaning-little relevancy bore;_  
 _For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being_  
 _Ever yet was blest with seeing bird above his chamber door-_  
 _Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,_  
 _With such name as "Nevermore."_  
  
 _But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only_  
 _That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour._  
 _Nothing further then he uttered-not a feather then he fluttered-_  
 _Till I scarcely more than muttered, "other friends have flown before-_  
 _On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before."_  
 _Then the bird said, "Nevermore."_  
  
 _Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,_  
 _"Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store,_  
 _Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster_  
 _Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore-_  
 _Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore_  
 _Of 'Never-nevermore'."_  
  
 _But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,_  
 _Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust, and door;_  
 _Then upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking_  
 _Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore-_  
 _What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore_  
 _Meant in croaking "Nevermore."_  
  
 _This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing_  
 _To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;_  
 _This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining_  
 _On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o'er,_  
 _But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er,_  
 _She shall press, ah, nevermore!_  
  
 _Then methought the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer_  
 _Swung by Seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor._  
 _"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee,-by these angels he hath sent thee_  
 _Respite,-respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore!_  
 _Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"_  
 _Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."_  
  
"And there he goes again with that Lenore girl… geez, I wonder how she could put up with this guy." London interjected.  
  
Maddie grit her teeth, let out her breath then continued gamely on.  
  
 _"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!-prophet still, if bird or devil!-_  
 _Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,_  
 _Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted-_  
 _On this home by horror haunted-tell me truly, I implore-_  
 _Is there-is there balm in Gilead?-tell me-tell me, I implore!"_  
 _Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."_  
  
 _"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil-prophet still, if bird or devil!_  
 _By that Heaven that bends above us-by that God we both adore-_  
 _Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,_  
 _It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore-_  
 _Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."_  
 _Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."_  
  
 _"Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend," I shrieked upstarting-_  
 _"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!_  
 _Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!_  
 _Leave my loneliness unbroken!-quit the bust above my door!_  
 _Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"_  
 _Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."_  
  
 _And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting_  
 _On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;_  
 _And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,_  
 _And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;_  
 _And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor_  
 _Shall be lifted—nevermore!_  
  
"You might not agree with me on this one, but I still think the poem is dumb. Why can't teachers ever give us something fun to read like a fashion magazine, or a gossip magazine, or even maybe a comic book?" London demanded when Maddie finished and set the book down on the table.  
  
"Because those aren't educational nor do they make you think as this does," Maddie explained. "This poem happens to be the best literature written with many hidden meanings we're expected to explore and understand."  
  
Rolling her eyes, London sighed in dismay and looked rather distressed. Frowning in confusion, Maddie asked, "What's wrong, London?"  
  
"Ohh… it's just…" London sighed and waved a hand to indicate this was hard for her to articulate. "I just wished I was as smart as you. I don't understand hardly anything of what we're supposed to learn but for you it's like a walk in the park. I just wish it was as easy for me too. Like that dumb poem. I haven't a clue what we're supposed to get out of that." By the time she finished, she was nearly whining with frustration and anger.  
  
"Aww, don't take on so, London. I just happen to enjoy studying but that's not true of everyone else. You aren't the only one who has trouble with this stuff. Don't sell yourself short, London, you're smart in other ways. It would be a boring world if we all thought the same way, don't you think?" Maddie cajoled her, patting London's back comfortingly. She didn't like to see her friend distressed. Yes, she was an airhead in many ways, but she was smart where it counted, like knowing what the best fashions were, what to wear for a party or what were the most fashionable places in several different cities, among other things. It was just in subjects like these that she struggled.  
  
"You really think so?" London asked, hesitantly.  
  
"Yes, I'm absolutely and positively sure of it." Maddie gave her friend a tight hug to convince her making London smile.  
  
"I'm so lucky to have a friend like you, Maddie," London confessed, as a little tear rolled down her cheek. "Not all the money in the world could buy a friendship like ours, and believe me, I tried before."  
  
Maddie blinked in surprise and amusement at the same time. She immediately felt a little guilty about the uncharitable thoughts she'd had about her friend earlier and promised herself she would be more sensitive to her friend's needs and treat this as the true friendship it was rather than a way to garner gifts and favours.  
  
She shook her head and chuckled, giving her friend another hug. "Only you would try to buy friends. Okay, enough of this soul searching, silly. We have some serious studying to do especially if you're having that much difficulty. I want you to pass your test," she said firmly, pulling out the questions they had to answer and picking up the book again, opening it to the poem again.  
  
Giving her friend a wane smile, London did her best to focus and listen to everything she told her. But before they could begin again, a whine near their feet reminded them they weren't alone.  
  
"Aww… Ivana, I'm sorry sweetie. Maddie she needs to be walked and fed, can we take a break?"  
  
"Oh, of course." Maddie thought the poor pooch was lucky it didn't starve to death or pee on the rug because of her owner's forgetfulness.  
  
The two of them got up, London put a harness and leash on Ivana and out they went. They were gone for a half hour and Ivana was bouncing around in relief and hunger when they returned to the apartment. From a small fridge she had in the penthouse, London took out some expensive dog food, filled the bowl and set it down for the dog while Maddie gave the dog clean water. Finished, the two girls went back to the couch to set to work again.  
  
Over the next few hours Maddie picked apart the poem and explained each part of it the best she could for London. It was dinner time when they thought to stop and eat. London called room service and they ordered their food.  
  
While they waited for it to be delivered, Maddie talked about the author and his life hoping it would give London a better feel for why the author wrote such morbid things. By now London was finally grasping a little about how Poe's mind worked. She still didn't like his work but she felt proud that she understood enough to feel confident that she would at least pass the test.  
  
Of course, the main reason for her confidence was how good a tutor Maddie was. Room service arrived and they had pizza then they returned to studying until around eleven, Maddie thought they'd done enough and set the book and notes down.  
  
"That's it for now. My brain and voice are tired."  
  
Setting her book and papers on the table as well, London studied her friend. "Thank you so much for doing this with me, Maddie. No one makes this stuff easier to understand then you do. You're a great tutor." Maddie blushed and shrugged. "So, what do you want to do now? We have the whole penthouse to ourselves and a long night ahead."  
  
"Don't we always have the whole penthouse just for ourselves?" –Maddie asked archly.  
  
"Yeah, now that you mention it," London smirked. "But you haven't answered my question. What do you want to do?"  
  
"I don't know, London. I'm really tired. It's been a long day and I didn't get a nap like you did so I'd opt for sleep right now," Maddie reminded her, yawning.  
  
"Oh, come on, Maddie. The night is still young and there are so many things we could do." London cajoled, making sad puppy eyes that she knew Maddie couldn't resist reacting to.  
  
Maddie knew there was no use trying to get London to believe her friend was dead tired. When London was like this there was no arguing with her. "Fine, what did you want to do?"  
  
"I asked you that but if you can't think of something I would suggest a game of some kind," London said, happily, pleased at winning again.  
  
"What kind of game?"  
  
"I don't know…"  
  
Rolling her eyes, Maddie named a few off the top of her head, "Well, there's "spin the bottle" but that requires more than two people, uhm… how about Truth or Dare?"  
  
"Perfect! "Truth or Dare" it is."  
  
Clearing the table of dinner and their homework, the pair went to the bedroom to change into their pajamas, and then returned to the couch. Ivana had left her dog bed to come and join them, peering up at the girls from beneath the table. The Asian brunette picked the dog up and set her down between them.  
  
"Okay, you go first, Maddie."  
  
"Fine... truth or dare?"  
  
"Hmm… truth."  
  
"Okay, I'll give you an easy one. Who's your best friend in the whole world?" Maddie asked, smirking.  
  
"That's easy... you silly!" London snorted, grinning. Her hand petted and scratched Ivana who wore a doggy smile, enjoying the attention.  
  
"Really? I'm flattered," Maddie declared, chuckling. "Okay, your turn!"  
  
"Yay me! Okay, Maddie, truth or dare?" London asked her, with a wicked look in her eyes.  
  
"Hmm… okay, I think I'll choose truth," Maddie decided.  
  
"Okay… what do you think of me as a person?" London asked her.  
  
Maddie blinked. She should have guessed her friend would ask something like that especially after what she'd said earlier. It was a good thing she'd decided to be more honest about her relationship just a bit ago or she'd be fumbling for an answer right now. Still, this would take some delicate handling.  
  
"I think that you are a great friend, London. Sometimes you can be a little selfish and self-centered, but that doesn't mean you're a bad person. In fact, I think that when you want to, you can be the sweetest, kindest and most awesome person in the world," Maddie declared honestly.  
  
"You really think so?" London asked, a small tear falling from one eye.  
  
"Of course I do. I chose truth, and I am telling you the truth. Oh, and well, since I am, I remembered the time you wanted to be part of my band, and I didn't want to tell you that you couldn't sing, because I feared you might take the instruments that you bought for us… I never got the chance to say it, but although you can't carry a tune, you do have a lovely voice." This statement only made London even more emotional, causing her to hug Maddie, nearly squeezing Ivana between them. Maddie was warmed by that simple gesture of affection. When they finally broke the hug, Maddie said, "Okay, my turn again...truth or dare?"  
  
"Hmmm… Dare."  
  
"Okay, I dare you to let me borrow one of your jewel necklaces and let me keep it for a whole week!" Maddie said.  
  
"Do I really have to?" London whined a little but relented when Maddie didn't say anything but stared at her. Sighing, she immediately got up and went to her bedroom. She pawed through a couple of drawers until she finally decided on a beautiful diamond necklace with a cap-sized sapphire set in a teardrop as it's centerpoint. She carried it back to the living room and handed it, a little reluctantly, to Maddie.  
  
"Just be very careful with that one. I bought it in Hong Kong, and I haven't had the opportunity to try it on," She warned.  
  
"Don't worry, I will. Besides, when have I ever lost anything that was lent to me?" Maddie asked, studying the expensive piece before putting it around her neck. "It's really beautiful, thank you."  
  
"It matches your eyes too which is why I chose it," London said, pleased by how it looked on her friend.  
  
"You really think so? Thanks. It's your turn now," Maddie said, smiling.  
  
"Right, truth or dare?"  
  
"I dare you to dare me, London!" Maddie declared, as her lips shaped into a mischievous smile.  
  
"Okay, you asked for it! I dare you to kiss me, Maddie Fitzpatrick!" London said, an odd predatory look on her face at the same time Ivana let out a small bark.  
  
"Kiss you? Just that? I thought I would get a more difficult one than that," Maddie said, surprised. She began to lean forward to kiss one of London's cheek's but the girl put up a hand to stop her.  
  
"Oh no, not on the cheek… on the lips!" London said, firmly.  
  
Maddie stared at her in shocked surprise.  
  
"What's the matter, Maddie, chicken?"  
  
Before the brunette could say anything more, Maddie leaned forward and gave her a quick peck on the lips. It had been a very light touch but both came away with the taste of each others lip gloss.  
  
No one said anything for a long moment as they stared at each other, expressions serious then they dissolved into fits of laughter. Maddie eventually had to muffle her gales of laughter with a pillow trying to stop it. Only when they were both breathless did they finally manage to stop. It was quiet in the room for a few minutes.  
  
"Man, that was awkward, don't you think, Maddie?" London suddenly said.  
  
"Yeah… I guess. I never kissed a girl before," Maddie said slowly. "These games can get so very naughty, not that I'm complaining."  
  
"That's so true." London yawned and stretched her arms to the ceiling. "Well I'm tired now, so to bed, you think?"  
  
"I was ready an hour ago… so I'll be sleeping here on the couch, okay?"  
  
"No way, Maddie. You're my best friend and I wouldn't dream of having you sleep on the couch. My bed is huge so you'll share it with me, no argument. Let's go," London said firmly, grasping Maddie's wrist and dragging her to her feet, not letting go as she led the way to the bedroom.  
  
"Uh… are you sure about this?" Maddie asked, uncertain about the wisdom of this.  
  
"I'm positive. Besides, I don't sleep well when someone else is here, but it won't bother me to have you next to me instead," London insisted, smiling. "Now stop arguing. My bed is far more comfortable than your tiny bed where I can't even stretch my arms or legs out without hitting something."  
  
Maddie could only sigh. As arguments go, London's made sense though she hated it when her friend unconsciously put her down for the clothes she wore, how she looked, and what her home looked like. However, deep in her heart, she knew that was simply London's way. She just didn't know it was hurtful and Maddie didn't feel like correcting her about it.  
  
So she did her bedtime routine as did London before they climbed into bed and pulled the covers up, laughing a little at doing something neither had done since childhood. Laying on the soft mattress, they turned their heads to stare into each other's eyes.  
  
"Good night Maddie, sleep tight!" London said softly, closing her eyes first.  
  
"Good night, London. Don't let the bed bugs bite you," Maddie answered, playfully.  
  
"Bed bugs? W-What are b-bed bugs?" London exclaimed, jerking upright and looking frantically around, eyes wide with fear.  
  
Maddie couldn't help it… she laughed. Shaking her head, she sat up and grabbed her friend's hands and shook her. "It's alright, London, it's just an expression. There are no bed bugs here."  
  
"You're sure?"  
  
"Positive. The Tipton is kept far too clean for them to dare show themselves here," Maddie reassured her.  
  
"You mean they do exist?"  
  
"Well, yeah but I swear not at this hotel, nor all the other Tipton hotels, or the high class ones you stay at, promise."  
  
London took a deep breath and let it out, forcing herself to relax. "Okay, I trust you know what you're talking about, but I think Ivana should sleep with us just in case." She leaned over the bed. "Here Ivana… here girl."  
  
The dog gave a soft yip and ran into the room. London lifted her onto the bed, letting the dog decide where she wished to rest.  
  
"Okay, now one last thing and I think I could sleep. Would you hug me while I'm sleeping, please?" She begged Maddie with beseeching eyes.  
  
Maddie sighed but nodded. "Sure, London."  
  
Her friend smiled and moved closer until they were entwined, snuggled close. A few minutes later, Ivana trotted up to them and settled in between the girls legs, falling asleep quickly. The girls were already sleeping, dreaming about all kinds of things.


	3. Confessions

The bedside clock chimed 3 o'clock in the morning, causing Maddie to wake groggily and look around. The sun would not rise in Boston for a couple of more hours. She groaned. Her head felt like she'd consumed a whole coffee pot, along with a couple of cans of Red Bull, and though she tried finding sleep again, it was no use. No matter how much she tried, she was not able to go back to sleep.  
  
Sighing, she looked to the other side of the bed and saw London wasn't having the same difficulty as she. The brunette was still sound asleep with her left arm wrapped around Maddie's waist, while her other hand was to her mouth, where she sucked her thumb like a little baby.  
  
The sight made Maddie chuckle. London looked so peaceful, so cute, and so beautiful. That last observation made her feel funny inside. Her heart fluttered with an inner joy but, for the life of her, she had no idea why.  
  
Disgusted of her inability to go back to sleep, Maddie gave up and decided to she might as well get up. Gently, she removed her friend's arm from her waist and, careful not to wake her, Maddie slipped from under the covers and off the bed.  
  
Tiptoeing quietly, she made her way out of the bedroom. Though it was quite dark, there was enough moonlight coming through the thin curtains for her to see where she was going as she walked into the living room. Crossing the carpeted floor for the huge window, she pulled the curtain aside and stared out at the city landscape. One thing she enjoyed about Boston was how gorgeous it looked at night. It reminded her of the pictures and postcards of her childhood taken of New York. They were very similar to what she was seeing now.  
  
She stood there long enough to get rather cold, so sighing, she turned around and was about to go back to bed when she noticed something that looked strangely familiar. It was on top of a table, in the corner near her. Going up to it, she lifted it into the moonlight to see it better and gasped in surprise when she recognized what it was…. her old chessboard, the same one she had used to try and teach London how to play, only to discover, her friend was one of the finest players that she'd ever seen. Maddie impulsively offered her old board to London, so the girl could have something to play when she was there. In the back of her mind, she told herself she was foolish as London could easily buy a much fancier, newer and expensive chessboard, probably made out of gold and platinum, carved with diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires, if she desired it. However, London had accepted the board, graciously and said no more about it.  
  
Seeing it now, Maddie was stunned and rather pleased to know London had kept her board, apparently liking it better than getting one herself.  
  
Maddie smiled, fondly as an old memory floated up. " _I so remember this… London beat the pants off me that day and the fact that she called the bishop "Mr. Pointy Head" was just hilarious. She beat me 55 times in a row, and when I finally won a game, I behaved like a jerk. I'm surprised London would talk to me again after that. Maybe that's why we're best friends, because we're able to forgive each other, no matter what was said or done._ "  
  
Feeling a little emotional, a few tears rolled down Maddie's cheeks. After wiping them with her fingers, she pulled out a chair and began to play a lonely game of chess. Though she would have liked to have turned a light on, she decided there was enough moonlight to see the board and the pieces and she did not want to wake up London. The sun was coming up when she finished her game by checkmating the white king, she murmured softly, checkmate.  
  
"Checkmate. Guess that means I've won."  
  
"You also loose, candy-girl," a voice said softly nearby.  
  
Maddie blinked in surprise. London stood only a few feet away, and looking still a little sleepy. " _Darn it! I must have awakened her somehow._ " Maddie thought to herself.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, London… I didn't mean to wake you up."  
  
"Don't worry, you didn't," London said cavalierly, as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and walked closer to her friend. "So, what are you doing?"  
  
Maddie shrugged her shoulders and smiled up at London. "Oh, just playing a little chess… I couldn't sleep."  
  
"Hmm… mind if I play with you?" London clapped her hands lightly to turn on the lights then took the chair opposite to Maddie and sat down. "I promise I won't win every game."  
  
"What kind of question is that? Of course, you can join me, and let me just tell you now, you won't beat me as easily as you did the last time." Maddie warned in a spirited and amused tone.  
  
Smiling challengingly, London set up the pieces up as did Maddie and they began to play in earnest. Maddie thought she had an excellent chance to beat London as she'd been practicing a lot of late.  
  
London was mildly surprised when it took her far more effort to trade strategies with Maddie. "She has been practicing." she mused. "I could try and win easily but that wouldn't be fair. It's more fun to hold back and allow Maddie to work hard for her wins and more interesting. It would tell me how her mind works. But, it's nice to know I'm better at her in some things."  
  
Smiling indulgently at Maddie, London decided to win a few games first and proceed to do so, winning twice in a row then backed off and allowed Maddie to win the next two games. It was worth it to see that glow of accomplishment and pleasure on her friend's face.  
  
As they played their fifth game, Maddie was biting her upper lip, trying to figure out what would be London's next move. London eyed the girl and couldn't help but giggle.  
  
Maddie glanced up from the pieces in puzzled confusion. "What's so funny?"  
  
"You, that's what… Did you know that every time you get nervous, you either curl your hair with your fingers, or bite your upper lip, just like you're doing right now?"  
  
"I do not!" Maddie objected, though her eyes were sparkling with amusement.  
  
"Trust me… you do! I was watching you. That tell lets me know you have no idea what my next move will be, or, you're just afraid you'll make the wrong move. Either way, you give away what you are thinking, a very bad thing when playing chess." London observed, amused.  
  
"Tell?"  
  
"Yes, it's a special tick or habit someone has that they do in stressful situations."  
  
"Do tell." They both burst into laughter at her unintentional joke. "You are such a…" Maddie started to say in her defense but then capitulated. "Aw… you're right, I really can't figure out what your next move is," she admitted.  
  
"Oh, come on, Maddie, there's no shame in losing… Take it from a person who loses very rarely the game and finally loses to a great player. It keeps me humble and teaches me that the world doesn't revolve around little old me… well, except most of the time, but you get the idea, right?" she smirked.  
  
"Well, if even one of the richest girls in the world says that, then I guess I'll just have to accept… that I'm going to win, check!" –Maddie exclaimed, as she managed to outsmart London, feeling proud of herself.  
  
"Humph! If one of the richest girls in the world says I'm a loser most of the time at chess, then I'll just have to accept that and say winning can happen if you're persistent enough. Checkmate!" she crowded suddenly, having thought she'd outsmarted London and feeling very proud of herself.  
  
"Huh? We'll be… great move, Maddie, however, when you moved Mr. Pointy Head… I mean, the bishop… you left your queen unprotected… so, I just have one thing to say… checkmate!" London said smoothly, winning again.  
  
Maddie stared at the board in disgust and amazement. "Well shoot, I thought I really had you that time. I guess I do need a little more practice," she sighed, admitting defeat. She eyed London for a long moment then decided she needed to unburden her conscious and now seemed like a good time. Feeling a bit uncomfortable she began. "London, I have a confession to make."  
  
"Oh? What might that be?" London stared into Maddie's eyes that looked somehow more beautiful now in the morning light.  
  
"I… I… I want to apologize. When you came back this afternoon your shopping spree, I was feeling so blue about everything in my life, that I… that I cursed the fact that you have everything you want, and I don't…" –Maddie stammered out, Hearing that admission aloud made her feel disgusted about herself, and about the things she said, but she pushed on with what she had to say "… and… and I shouldn't feel such jealousy and anger about someone who's my best friend that I love like a sister, or perhaps even more than a sister. I'm sorry!" A single tear of shame rolled down her face, as she turned her head away, not wanting to see London's expression.  
  
London was quiet for a moment than said, carefully, "Oh Maddie! It's alright. I forgive you. Look, it's perfectly normal to feel that way. I've seen this reaction from middle class and poor people towards the rich all the time, it's only natural. But I have a confession to make to you."  
  
Maddie looked up in surprise. London smiled reassuringly at her.. "You see…I envy you."  
  
"What? How could you envy me? You've got everything."  
  
London's eyes grew sad. "Not everything. You have a family that cares about you and you have many friends."  
  
"But so do you." Maddie blurted. "What about Zack and Cody, or Moseby? Did you forget about them?"  
  
"No, I haven't. Those two are like little brothers to me. But apart from them, Moseby, who's one of the most caring persons I've ever known, and maybe a couple of more people, you are my only true friend. The rest are acquaintances who care for no one but themselves. If something serious should happen to me, they wouldn't come running to me; but you would." She reached over and clasped Maddie's hands in her own.  
  
"Sure, I may have all the clothes I desire or dream about, all the money in the world to spend on anything I want and travel wherever in the world I want, but it has no meaning when you're doing it alone. Believe me when I say, I would trade all that for a chance to live as you do and have a family like yours, even for just for a day," she said sincerely. I don't think you realize just how little I see of my parents. "We spend no quality time together, mostly because they can't stand being both in the same room, and because they're always busy travelling around the world, I'm so alone, except for you. All the money in the world can't take the place of loneliness."  
  
She remembered the time when her father had lost all of his fortune in a bad business deal. Rather than stick together while he worked to restore their finances, he sent her away to live with Maddie and her family for a short time. There, she learned to work at a fast food restaurant and what it was like being part of a real family. She'd been welcomed with open arms and loved. Even now she couldn't admit how much she missed that wonderful time in her life when she was truly happy.  
  
The reminder of just how lonely she sometimes was made London so sad, she broke down and cried. Surprised by both London's admission and tears, Maddie quickly released their hands, stood up and went to gather the sobbing girl in her arms as she knelt beside her, holding tight and murmuring reassurances that everything was alright between them, and that if it was up to her, she would never ever be alone. All the outpouring of emotion finally got to Maddie as well and they were both crying into each other shoulders. It was a release they both needed and when they finally cease bawling, they were drained and messy. Fares were red and blotchy and their pyjamas were a little bit wet from tears. Using her already wet clothing, Maddie wiped London's face off.  
  
"Sorry I made you cry, Blondie." London murmured, her voice hearse.  
  
"That's okay; I guess we both needed to cry a little bit, Princess," Maddie soothed, caressing London's hair a moment. "Think we should go wash up and blow our noses, eh?"  
  
London gave her a watery smile and rose to her feet. The two went to the large bathroom and washed their faces with warm water, feeling much better afterwards.  
  
Tossing her cloth into the nearby hamper, London sighed. "I don't know about you, but I'm no longer tired. Shall we call room service to order some breakfast and watch some TV while we wait?"  
  
"Sounds like a great idea." Maddie told her.  
  
"Good." London grabbed Maddie by the hand and dragged her off to the living area.  
  
While Maddie dropped onto the couch and grabbed the remote control to put on the TV, London went to her suite's phone and called down to the kitchen for food. She finished in a few moments then went to flop down beside the other girl.  
  
"Breakfast will be here in about a half hour."  
  
"Great, I'm starved. So, what do you want to watch?" Maddie asked her, beginning to surf the channels.  
  
"Don't know. Keep switching and we'll see."  
  
After a few minutes of seeing nothing but boring things, Maddie finally stopped in a channel was playing re-runs of "100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd". She'd only heard of the series by its name and wasn't too sure if it was worth watching. Some minutes into the show, she had to admit it wasn't too bad, but it wasn't all that great either. Before she could suggest switch stations, the two of them spotted something truly interesting.  
  
"Did you notice that Brenda Song, the actress playing Sariffa, looks a lot like you?" Maddie observed, pointing the unmistakable likeness. "You two could be twin sisters!"  
  
"Don't be ridiculous, Maddie… I'm way prettier than her, and besides, I would never dye my hair blue." London scoffed.  
  
"Oh, I don't know… I think you would look pretty if you did," Maddie commented blithely. "Let's see what's on the other channels."  
  
Searching once more, Maddie found a channel where High School Musical was on. She knew London was a big fan of the movie, and Maddie herself also liked it, mostly because of the songs, so she left it on.  
  
"Well, would you look at that… the actress playing Sharpay Evans, Ashley Tisdale, looks remarkably like you. Now what are the odds that we'd find two actresses that could be our twins, hmm?" London smirked.  
  
"I'd say phenomenally rare." Maddie snorted. "You know, you're not the first person to say that about Ashley Tisdale. My mom swears that I look like her, but I don't think so. Although I admit if I wore my hair the way she does, I might look a tiny but like her." Maddie stated, as an old memory floated up, specifically, the time where London and herself had tried for the part of Sharpay Evans in the school's play of High School Musical, where in the end, neither one of them got it.  
  
"I think the differences are minuscule. Bet you could pass as her easily if you were dressed as she is and had your hair done the same way, no one would realize you weren't Tisdale. You got the same height as her, the same hair colour, even the same eye colour, trust me. You might be book smart, but I know more about appearances, styles, and body styles, so trust me on this, you two look very much alike." London said, firmly.  
  
"Okay, fine, I look like her but I insist that you look much like Brenda Song." Maddie insisted then yawned.  
  
"Fine, I'll admit I look a little bit like her, but I'm way prettier." London conceded only a little.  
  
"See, was it that difficult?" Maddie asked her, as she placed her head on London's shoulder.  
  
London rolled her eyes. They sat watching the TV until the doorbell rang. Sighing, Maddie raised her head to release London who went to the door to allow the waiter in. The man kept his eyes away from the bedroom attired women and quickly set the table then left.  
  
"Hmm, smell wonderful," Maddie said, eagerly going to load up a plate.  
  
"Yes it does. Didn't realize just how hungry I was."  
  
They took their filled plates to the couch and continued watching TV, as they ate their breakfast. By the time they'd finished their meal and watched more television, they grew sleepy.  
  
Maddie yawned. "I'm tired. Want to go back to bed for one more hour?"  
  
"Good idea. I think we deserve a few more minutes in bed." London yawned as well.  
  
Maddie shut off the TV, tossing the remote control onto the couch and the pair took their plates to the table and left them. After taking turns using the bathroom, they returned to bed, crawled beneath the covers. Wrapping their bodies close together, they drifted off to sleep, but before they succumbed completely, they whispered to each other.  
  
"Love you, London." Maddie whispered, closing he eyes.  
  
"Love you too, Maddie." –London whispered too, as her eyelids closed, and she just like Maddie, made her way to dreamland.


	4. Checking In

**Well, it's time for me to introduce an original character that I created just for this story… actually, you can get to know more about "the actor" who portrays Mark in my story "The Disney Channel Files" (which by the way does not have anything to do with this one, but I thought that the character would be a nice addition to the story). I hope you like him, everyone.**

* * *

  
Maddie and London spent the rest of the weekend studying for the Literature test. London was now determined to prove to herself and others, especially to Maddie, that she was not just a bubble-headed female with her head always in the clouds. Between studying and playing chess with one another, they had a wonderful time.   
  
When they returned to school on Monday, London was pleased with her efforts on the test, knowing most everything on it with more confidence than she'd started the weekend with. She was fairly certain she would get at least a C+ as her grade. Maddie knew she'd done well but it was the look on her friend's face that cheered her the most, knowing she'd been responsible for it putting it there.   
  
A week went by and Maddie was again working at the Tipton candy-counter, watching the minutes go by, waiting for either something exciting to happen, or for her shift to end. She was reading a magazine, while her fingers played with the beautiful necklace she'd won the right to borrow and wear from London during their "Truth or Dare" game. It was a lovely gem. She knew of course, to not to wear it away from the Tipton for fear someone might try and steal it from her.   
        
"Such a gorgeous necklace… I wish I could keep it forever." Maddie sighed dreamily. She glanced up from her magazine from time to time to watch the action that normally played out in the lobby.   
  
As usual, Moseby was arguing with Esteban, while Arwin, the hotel's engineer and part-time inventor, or at least he considered himself one, was trying to fix a door. Cody and Zack had just passed through there, on their way to the swimming pool, along with Max and Tapeworm. She'd overheard them say, they were definitely going to try and see who could make the biggest dive-bomb.   
  
There was one person, however, that had caught her eye. A young man, close to her age, had been seated for more than two hours on one of the couches near the windows. Tall, with dark, spiky hair that matched beautifully with his big blue eyes, the guy was quite buff, though not exactly a jock in build. He had a large sketchpad in his hands and was drawing something. He wasn't dressed flashy, wearing only a yellow t-shirt with the words "Jamaica Rules" on it, blue jeans and red tennis-shoes. She'd never seen him before so it was possible he was a new guest at the hotel.   
  
Curious about him, she put down the magazine, slipped the necklace into a drawer for safe-keeping, and decided to see what he was doing. As she got closer to him, she realized he was more handsome than she'd first thought. Without raising his head, the guy held up his hand in a 'wait a minute' gesture, pointing directly at her, while his eyes never left his sketchbook, his other hand with the pencil moved swiftly.  
  
"Don't move! Hold that pose for ten seconds, okay?"  
  
Surprised by the abrupt command, Maddie halted in her tracks and waited silently. Only a few moments later, he raised his head and smiled.   
  
"Sorry, but I really needed you to stay still so I could finish it."  
  
"Finish what exactly?" Maddie asked curiously.   
  
"This…" He held up his sketchpad, turning it around for her to see what he'd done.   
  
Maddie stared in complete wonder and surprised at the well done portrait of her as she stood behind the counter. It looked so life-like that it could be mistaken for a photo done at the early part of the 20th century. It had that aged quality though every detail was fresh and clear. It was simply an amazing work.   
  
"You like it?" The young man asked, smiling, pleased by her reaction.  
  
"Oh yes! It's beautiful and so life-like. You have an amazing talent," Maddie finally managed to blurt out. She walked closer and he let her take the sketchbook so she could look at it more closely.   
  
"Thank you. It is But one of my many talents. I also write poetry and prose, and I paint when I'm stressed." he said casually. Standing up, he took her hand and said. "By the way, my name is Mark Stevenson." he kissed the back of her hand like a proper gentleman from the south.  
  
She blushed hotly and was a little embarrassed as she took her hand back, introducing herself. "And I'm Maddie Fitzpatrick." Then, it struck her. "… wait a minute! Mark Stevenson… are you by any chance related to…"  
  
"Stephen Stevenson, the famous writer and novelist? As a matter of fact, I am. He's my dad." –Mark shrugged deprecatingly.  
  
"Whoa! Your dad is one of THE best writers I've ever read. I loved all his books, especially the Fire Trinity Trilogy, Romance in Paris, Moonlighting and of course, Sliders." She gushed ecstatically. "And the fact that he creates the characters of his books based on real life celebrities is one of those things that you just got to love!"  
  
"Yeah, he's the best at what he does."  
  
"I know you must hear this all the time, but, do you think you could ask your father to sign my copies of his books?" Maddie asked, hesitantly. "It's one of my dreams to have my whole collection signed by the author himself with a nice dedication."   
  
"Why don't you ask him, yourself? You'll have all the time in the world, now that we've moved here." –Mark chuckled.  
  
"Wait… moved here? You mean you're staying at the hotel, like, permanently?"  
  
"Yeah, my father got tired of travelling all around the world, and felt it was time for us to settle down in on a place, and what better place than a hotel, where you can meet all sorts of people that he can use in his future books? Besides, since we've spent most of our lives in hotels, I'd find a condo very boring now. Hotels give off lots of energy and life, especially this one. I suspect it would be normal to see lots of action occurring here?" He said it with a questioning tilt to his voice, seeing if she would agree with him.    
  
But Maddie was too wrapped up in the novelty of having the son of a famous author, drawing her that she failed to hear everything he'd said. Her attention was focused on the many images he'd drawn in his sketchbook. There was one of Zack and Cody, another of Esteban, Moseby and Arwin, and even one of Muriel. It blew her mind to learn her favourite author had moved into the Tipton and that his son was just as talented.  
  
"These are just so incredible. You're quite the artist," she murmured distractedly.   
  
"Thank you. But I really must say, from the many people whose portraits I've done, yours was the most difficult."   
  
Surprised, she finally gave him her undivided attention. "Why's that?"  
  
"Because I can usually see a person's personality or soul, if you will, as I draw them, but yours defied interpretation enough to make drawing you a challenge. Were you by any chance thinking about someone or something that's not here right now?"   
  
"No…" she said cautiously. For some reason didn't want to reveal she'd been thinking of London all afternoon. "Why would I be?"  
  
Her mind drifted to that glorious weekend they'd send together. She didn't know why but it was more special than any other they'd spent before and made her feel good in a way she couldn't explain to anyone.    
  
She failed to hear his answer and only snapped to attention when he tapped her on the shoulder still calling her name in concern. "Maddie? Maddie? Maddie are you listening to me?"             
  
"Oh, sorry… I guess I left my mind drift," she said, blushing in embarrassment.  
  
"I could see that. Does it happen often when you are speaking to someone?" Mark asked.  
  
Now she felt really stupid. He must think I'm a total dweeb spacing out like that. "Oh, no… just something you said triggered a memory. I'm truly sorry. I don't normally do that."  
  
He eyed her for a moment then nodded. "Honestly, I do it as well. Artists get distracted by things too." He smiled warmly at her.    
Maddie enjoyed talking with Mark. It was good to have someone with whom she could discuss serious matters; like literature and sciences, instead of just movies, gossip and fashion; matters she always talked about with London. It wasn't that she did not enjoy those subjects, but being able to talk about her other interests with someone of a like mind was equally enjoyable.    
  
What was so exciting, was Mark's stories about all the celebrities he'd met over the years. Since his father was always creating characters based on various celebrities, he needed to the interview them and Mark got to meet them all.      
  
"You mean that Kate Winslet tells everyone she doesn't like science fiction movies, but she has the biggest collection of science fiction movies and books that you ever saw?!" Maddie asked, amused by the lengths some stars will go to keep their privacy.  
  
"Aside from George Lucas, yeah, but he's totally addicted to it… in fact, I think that in his mind, he lives in a world where his creations from Star Wars really exist," Mark joked.       
  
As they got acquainted, Cody and Zack appeared, each eating a huge sundae a piece and arguing about who had eaten the most ice-cream in ten minutes. The two halted nearby as their disagreement got more heated.   
  
"I ate four snow cones, and right now I'm eating a huge sundae. Who do you think knows better than anyone else what I've got in my own stomach?" Zack asked, hotly.   
  
"Apparently, my eyes and my brain. You ate three snow cones before starting to eat that sundae… your brain froze, when you were eating the fourth, so you stopped and licking doesn't count," Cody retorted.  
  
"You wish! Even if my brain froze while I was eating my fourth snow cone, that doesn't mean you ate more ice-cream than me. You can ask Max and Tapeworm here."  
  
"Wrong! Your brother ate more ice-cream than you, Zack." Max snorted, siding with Cody. Tapeworm wisely kept out of it. The last thing that argument needed was for someone to make it worse by saying his opinion.  
  
The ridiculous argument made Mark burst into laughter. He'd tried to keep a straight face, but the twins were so hilarious, he gave it up and laughed uproariously. It was much like watching an old Three Stooges Show.   
  
When he could catch his breath and stop laughing, and was wiping the tears from his face, he asked Maddie, "Are they always like that?"  
     
Chuckling, Maddie nodded. "Most of the times, plus being a pair of terrible troublemakers for the hotel staff as well but they both have huge hearts and their pranks are never hurtful. Still, the hotel's manager, Mr. Moseby considers them two pests." She chuckled.    
  
Their laughter caught the attention of the feuding brothers who turned to see who was laughing at them. Seeing Maddie with someone new and looking too cozy, Zack feeling a little jealous, he stalked over to them trailed by his curious brother and their friends.   
  
"Hey there sweet thang, how ya doing?" He said when he was close enough to Maddie. He deliberately leaned on the counter so he was closer to her.  
  
"Hey there yourself, Zack. I want you to meet our newest permanent guest at the hotel, Mark Stevenson, the son of the famous writer Stephen Stevenson." Maddie said, giddily.   
  
"Hi there, nice to meet you," Mark said, amiably at them.    
  
"Me too… so, your father is the guy who writes the Fantastic Four nowadays?" –Zack asked, excited to be meeting a celebrity's son, even though he did not know what the man actually did. Cody punched him in the shoulder… hard.   
  
Scowling at his brother, Zack growled, "Hey what was that for?!"  
  
"For being ignorant and an idiot…" Cody snapped, then turned to Mark. "You have to forgive my brother. He doesn't read anything that doesn't have pictures in it. I'm Cody, by the way. It's really great to meet you." Cody declared as he shook hands with Mark.  
  
Zack interrupted with a loud, "I'm not idiot, and I'm certainly not ignorant! By the way, what does ignorant mean?"  
  
That sent Mark into fresh gales of laughter. When he could speak again he smiled broadly and said, "That's okay… I like you guys. You might be twins, but I can definitely see that you have different personalities."  
  
"Indeed. According to our mom, we have matching personalities. In case you don't know, Freud had a theory in which he theorized that identical twins share common memories when they're in their mother's womb, but also, that they tend to have personalities that are complete opposites of one another, which takes me to another theorist, who says…"  
  
"I get, I get it… So you're the smart one, and you are the not so smart, but you're smart in your own way… street smart from the looks of you. I think I'll have a blast getting to know you both," Mark interrupted, laughing.   
  
After a little more conversation, the twins said 'see you around' then went up to their room, with Max and Tapeworm following them. After meeting the Martin twins, Mark asked Maddie about the other residents of the hotel. It was a safe bet there were other odd ducks about and he was excited to learn about them.   
  
More than happy to oblige, Maddie told him about Zack and Cody's mother, Carey, and others she knew, like: Arwin, Moseby, Esteban, and many others while inserting a little about her life and how much she sometimes hated having to work at that counter. During their conversation, London entered the lobby, carrying her dog, Ivanna in her arms. She was quick to notice Maddie had company at her counter and quickly changed her direction. Placing Ivanna on top of the counter, she hailed her friend.    
  
"Hey, Maddie! Who's the new guy?"  
  
"Hi, London. This is Mark Stevenson, our newest permanent guest. Mark, this is London Tipton, the heiress to the Tipton Hotels and my best-friend," Maddie introduced them.  
  
"So you're the famous London Tipton! I've heard lots of things about you." –Mark said, warmly bestowing a kiss on her hand as he had Maddie.   
  
"Yay me!" London exclaimed, using her well known catchphrase, then blushing. "Sorry, I tend to do that a lot."  
  
"Don't let it bother you. I like that extravagant side of you. Let me just tell you, that you are 10 times prettier than Paris Hilton, and I bet that you're way smarter than her," Mark said, grinning.   
  
Maddie snorted. Almost everyone is smarter than that blonde will ever be. Even London is smarter than her.   
  
"Oh, I just love compliments!" London said, gaily, stretching her arms to wrap them around Mark's shoulders and giving him a huge hug.       
  
When Maddie saw London do that, something inside her snarled angrily. It felt like jealousy, but why on earth would she feel such an inappropriate emotion. Confused, she just watched as London let go of Mark. Shoving the odd emotion away, Maddie rejoined the conversation.   
  
"Well, London, looks like you're no longer the only celebrity living in this hotel, anymore, since Mark and his father have come to stay."  
  
"What do you mean?" London asked, confused with what Maddie had just said.  
  
"Because Mark's father is Stephen Stevenson, one of the most famous writers of this decade, that's why."   
  
"Oh, you mean, that writer who wrote those books that you're always reading and re-reading countless times?" London asked innocently.   
  
"Yeah, those, and I don't read them that often… just a couple of times." Maddie said, rather defensively.   
  
"That's not what I remember. Don't you recall last year when the nuns caught you reading one of them during class."  
  
"I wouldn't have been caught, if you hadn't said "Are you reading that book again?'" Maddie said, getting a little angry at London's sudden picking at her.   
  
"Well, I wouldn't have said it, if you hadn't been reading it." –London declared, needling her friend.   
  
"That coming from someone who last year got detention three times in a week because she was always putting make-up, instead of paying attention in class!" Maddie growled, really annoyed now.  
  
Realizing the girls were gearing up for fight over such a silly matter, Mark figured it would be wise to try and be peace-maker between these two friends.   
  
"Excuse me, ladies!" He said rather loudly to get their attention.  
  
They blinked at him in surprise. "Thank you. Arguing about something that happened a long time ago is a waste of time. Apologize and let's talk about something else, eh?" He said soothingly.  
  
Both girls blushed in embarrassment like naughty school girls caught by the teacher. They had completely forgotten about him, which was terribly rude.  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry. That was rude of us…" Maddie hurried to say, then turned to London. "I'm sorry for getting so upset about nothing, London."   
  
"No, I'm sorry, Maddie. I shouldn't have pushed your buttons like that," London was quick to say, apologizing to Maddie. "Forgive me?"  
  
"Of course." Maddie hugged her friend. London sighed in relief and gave her friend a big kiss on the left cheek.   
  
When they pulled apart, London nodded at Mark and smiled shyly. "I'd better get Ivanna upstairs to our room. It was nice to meet you, Mark. Be seeing you around."    
  
"A pleasure meeting you too, London," he nodded his head politely at her.  
  
Then, London grabbed her dog and hurried off to catch the just arriving elevator, vanishing inside and making her escape. Inside the elevator she hugged Ivanna close, her heart pounding like a bass drum in her ears. What was wrong with her?  She hadn't meant to get into an argument with Maddie, but seeing her with that guy and obviously enjoying his company had done something to her. What was going on with her lately? Confused, she tried to relax, as she waited to reach her floor.    
  
Back at the candy-counter, Mark was saying goodbye but Maddie barely heard him as she waved goodbye with only half her attention. As he vanished with his sketchpad into another elevator, Maddie tried to grapple with her feelings. She was badly shaken by her strange behaviour of a moment ago, her heart still pounding rapidly from the fight.  
  
Why had she gotten so upset with London? It was a stupid argument and in front of her new friend too. What was going on between them? She stared blindly out into the lobby trying to think of an answer, but none came.


	5. Midnight Snacks

The weekend was fairly quiet and Maddie hadn't seen much of her new friend Mark so she and London spent it messing around. On the following Monday, London was thrilled to have received a better grade than she'd hoped on her Literature test... a B-.  Now she could go to Europe as planned at the end of the month.   
  
She wasn't surprised when Maddie received an A-. As a thank you for helping her do so well, London decided to let her friend keep the diamond necklace. When she told her friend of her decision after school, Maddie refused to accept it but London was persistent and won in the end.  
  
Secretly, Maddie was ecstatic for she adored the necklace and could never afford anything so fine herself. She hugged London and thanked her profusely. That odd, excited feeling when she held her friend close to her, returned, confusing her. She wasn't certain what this strange feeling was. It felt sort of like when one was attracted to someone, but London was a girl so that couldn't be right.    
  
When the embrace ended, she felt rather bereft, confusing her even more. She was left with an excited body and no answers, and no one she dared ask to explain what was going on with her.  
  
London was also confused by the sensations she felt when she held Maddie in her arms. More worldly than her friend but still rather green about relationships, she too was unable to figure out why she felt the way she did around her best friend.  
  
Pretending nothing strange had happened, they decided to get some ice cream before going home.

* * *

  
Mark had been registered at the same school as his new friends from the hotel, the Cheevers Middle and High School. His first few days were busy as he got settled in.  He saw the others in passing, and had some of the same classes as Maddie and London.      
  
When he wasn't attending school, he was sitting in the hotel lobby with his sketchpad, drawing all the interesting people that lived or worked or visited the hotel. As time passed, he could be found keeping company with the boys that hung about, especially the twins and teaching them new pranks, and at other times chatting with Maddie as she worked at the candy counter or getting to know London by talking about the many places they both had been and seeing if they'd visited the same ones.  
  
Privately, he thought it sad how London's parents were always away, leaving her alone a lot. He was glad she had so many friends at the hotel to keep her company. That way she would not feel so lonely.   
  
It wasn't long before he fit right in with all the varied people that inhabited the hotel.  He was very happy and so glad his father had decided to come here to settle down.  After a month, he felt like he'd been here all his life and had known these people from the beginning.  
  
But there was always new things to learn as he found out one day while leaning against the candy counter talking with Maddie while finishing yet another drawing. This time it was a portrait of London.   
  
He was applying some finishing touches when Maddie began telling him about the time London wanted to use her friend as a test subject for a line of beauty products she planned to market.   
  
"So, you're saying the products caused your face to swell up, your hair to turn cotton-candy pink, and your lips to look like you'd been stung by a bee?"  His tone clearly showing he didn't entirely believe her.   
  
"Trust me it did but did I also mention they'd reddened my cheeks, swelled my eyes shut so I looked like a clown, and I stunk like a skunk?" Maddie asked, as she stocked candy onto the shelves in the case in front of her. "I don't blame you for disbelieving me, I wouldn't believe it either but I have a photo London took of me to send to her lab guys, proving the products toxic effects." Smirking, she pulled her purse out of a drawer nearby and withdrew an old photograph kept in a plastic sleeve. She handed it to him.   
  
"Ouch… you really looked awful, girl," he said, staring at the photo and grimacing in sympathy. The photo showed the blonde's bloated face and horrid hair in full glory. If she hadn't said it was her, he wouldn't have been able to identify the female in the pic at all.  
  
"I know… It took me almost a month to get back to my old self. In the meantime, I had to dye my hair three times just to be able to be out in public. During that time, I looked like a twisted version of Lady Gaga." she chuckled then eyed Mark in surprise. His face held a confused expression. "What?! What is it?!"   
  
"I don't get it… you're supposed to be best-friends, yet, London seems to be the one who gets you into all kinds of trouble. From my perspective, I see London humiliating you, and sometimes even mocking you often but you let it roll off as if it's okay. How can you do that?"  
  
Maddie shrugged her shoulders, feeling a bit vulnerable and uncomfortable with Mark's keen observation. "Well, I think it's because I know what life's been like for London. She's really a good person and doesn't mean to do the things she does. But because I do know her so well, I can forgive her anything." She remembered the efforts she had to go to in hiding the allergic effects of the products until it finally cleared up. London had been so sorry and did her best to help her during that troubling time. "Besides, when she does get me into any kind of trouble, she tends to over apologize by spoiling me with gifts and treating me super nice," she defended her friend.   
  
"You really are something, you know? That's why I'll never understand girls… then again, I wonder if you guys even understand yourselves," he said, rolling his eyes.  
  
That last witticism caused Maddie to laugh and shake her head. She had to admit, her relationship with London could be seen as strange and peculiar at times, but it was a friendship which was founded on the pillars of mutual respect for one another; a friendship she cherished and wouldn't trade for anything or anyone else in the world.  
  
At that moment, Cody and Zack came bursting in from the street, their helmets on their heads, and their skates tied and slung over their shoulders. Everyone would assume they'd been skating, and were just now returning home, exhausted as always. They spotted Mark at the candy counter and quickly hurried toward him.   
  
"Do you have it?" Zack asked eagerly.  
  
"Do you have what I asked for?" Mark countered, as he pulled something from his pocket.   
  
"Of course, I have it, minty condition." Zack assured him, giving Mark a thin package.  
  
Mark smiled and took the package, which contained, what it appeared to be, a comic book. Staring at it, Mark was pleased to see it was the issue he had asked for. He handed over a small golden box, no bigger than an IPhone, to Zack.   
  
"The instructions are inside the box. Follow them closely, and I'll see you both later at the agreed upon time, okay?" Mark said, as he took the comic book out of its protective sleeve and began reading it.   
  
"You got it.  See you later!" Zack sang out then he and his brother headed for the elevators.  
  
During the whole interchange, Maddie had listened in puzzlement. Bending over the counter, she asked. "What was that all about?"  
  
"Something that the boys and I came up with for tonight," he said casually without looking up. "You wouldn't, by any chance, be working tonight?"  
  
"Unfortunately, I am. Millicent asked for the night off, so I ended up doing her shift besides my own which means I'm stuck here until 7 a.m.," Maddie told him, hating the fact she had to work on a Friday night. All she really wanted to do was go home at the end of her shift, eat something fast, then cuddle beneath the covers of her bed.  
  
"Then, I think you'll have a pleasant surprise," he said, mysteriously then he grabbed his stuff and prepared to leave. "I've got to go and prepare things. The fun starts around 2 am in the morning. Tell London she's invited too." With that parting instruction, Mark hurried off.  
  
Frowning and still bewildered by what might be planned, Maddie sighed and grabbed her phone from her purse. Texting London, she told her friend about some kind of surprise Cody and Zack were planning with Mark's help. The heiress quickly responded with the assurance she would be there. 

* * *

  
The rest of the day and evening went smoothly and way too quietly. By 2 a.m., Maddie was frankly sleeping at the counter, sitting on a stool, her head down on her arms, eyes shut. The lobby was completely deserted; not a single soul in sight.   
  
Suddenly, she awakened by the elevator's bell. Jerking her head up, she blearily saw Cody and Zack exiting the elevator. They were still wearing the same clothes they'd had on that afternoon, which meant they hadn't gone to bed at all.     
  
"So, are you ready, Maddie?" Zack hailed her, as he approached, his brother trailing behind him.  
  
"Ready for what, Zack?"  She asked, her voice still sleepy. Rubbing her face, she tried to wake herself up.  
  
"For the party, of course!"  
  
"What party? I can't go, I'm still working..."  
  
"No one's going to notice you missing for a little bit, promise. Meet us in the kitchen, okay?"  Zack wheedled.  
  
Maddie frowned and looked around but it was like he'd said, no one was around to notice her absence, not at this late hour. "Okay, but I need to wait for London first. She should be coming down any second now."  
  
"Cool! See you both there in a few," Cody said, smiling from ear to ear then hurrying after his brother who was already making for the kitchen.  
  
Shaking her head and wondering what was going on, Maddie emptied the cash drawer (because obviously, she couldn't just leave it unattended), counted the day's take (wasn't very much... it was a slow day) and annotated it to her ledger, before locking it up in the safe located near the floor behind the counter. Next she locked the candy counter so no one would take any 'free' samples while she was gone. That would have gotten her in seriously trouble. Now all she had to do was to wait for London to show.   
  
Some five minutes passed and Maddie was getting a little anxious. Had London forgotten? No, there was the elevator chime now. Moments later, the doors opened and out strode London. The girl was dressed as if she planned on going to a cocktail party. What did she know that Maddie didn't?  
  
As London strode toward her, Maddie sized her up, admiring how good her friend looked. London was wearing a beautiful sapphire cetin dress with stiletto heels. Her hair was flat ironed straight, opposed to her usually wavy style, which suited her very well.   
  
"Hey Maddie, ready for the party?!" Her friend asked, excitedly.  
  
"I didn't even know there was a party and I'm not dressed for it. I'm afraid the boys are going to get us in trouble as they usually do," Maddie fretted. "By the way, I really like the dress, but, don't you think it's a little too much? I mean, didn't you have anything a little less ostentatious to wear?"   
  
"This was the least ostentatious I had in my closet," London assured her, preening under the compliment.   
  
" _If that's the least ostentatious I don't even want to know what your most ostentatious dress looks like._ " Maddie thought privately.  
  
"So, you ready to go?" London asked.  
  
"Yes, I guess so," Maddie said, less than sure about all this. She came around the counter and took London's hand, walking with her toward the kitchen.

* * *

  
It felt really nice feeling London's hand in hers. It caused a warm sensation to flow from the hand to areas south of her waistline. That startled her. OMG! I'm in love with a girl! Maddie's head spun from her stunning revelation.    
  
London was feeling nearly the same thing though she wasn't as shocked at the thought she might be in love with her best friend and that she was a girl rather than a boy.    
  
Suddenly, Cody appeared before them, smiling broadly. "Mademoiselles, if you will follow me, I'll take you where the party will take place." He put on his best impersonation of a French waiter he could. It made the girls laugh.   
  
"You need to work on your French accent a little more, Cody," London teased him, using a better, more accurate French accent. The by-play helped her to push her burgeoning feelings for Maddie aside a bit though it was hard when with the girl holding her hand and standing so close.  
  
Cody rolled his eyes and snorted, "I know, but believe me, it wasn't my idea. Zack insisted I do this."  
  
As they approached the kitchen, their senses were invaded by a delicious smell. Whatever was cooking, it was really good. When they entered, they saw Mark doing the cooking. Next to him were Zack and Arwin, who watched him as he worked around the stove.  
  
Looking around, Maddie immediately noticed something was wrong about the kitchen... except for them, it was deserted. Usually at this time of night, there was at least a short order cook for late night orders and a baker who would be making bread goods and all sorts of pastries for the morning.  
  
At least it was far too early for Chef Paolo to be here. London was always insulting the man's food and he threatened to quit numerous times. He would certainly be incensed to find his kitchen staff gone even if it was the quietest time in the hotel.    
  
"Whatever you're cooking smells wonderful, Mark but where is the kitchen staff?  Chef Paolo will be very angry if he finds out they weren't here," she asked, very uneasy about this.  
  
"Don't worry so much Maddie. I asked the night crew if we could have the kitchen just for a few hours. I'm down here often enough since my kitchen is way too small, to cook some of the dishes I learned from the places I've been. I got to be friends with most of the kitchen staff and though they didn't really like it, they agreed to let us use it for about four hours as long as we promised to clean up and be gone in time for them to do their morning prep work," Mark explained, cheerily as he sliced up a few strings of bacon.  
  
"You may have gotten their permission but Chef Paolo and Moseby are so going to be pissed at you when they find out about this," Maddie warned, not liking this at all.  
  
"Yeah, right… Moseby couldn't find his own socks even if they were in front of his nose. He might be the hotel's general manager, but he doesn't have eyes everywhere, and no one is telling Chef Paolo. Stop worrying. We're here to spend some quality time together and what's life without a little danger mixed in, eh?" Mark cast a smile of assurance toward her.  
  
"You da man, Mark! I've done all kinds of pranks to everyone in this hotel, but I'd never try something so bold under everyone's noses like this before. Oh, and thanks for letting us borrow the pills," Zack said, grinning from ear to ear.  
  
"Pills? What pills are you talking about?" London demanded, not liking the sound of that..   
  
"Oh, he's talking about the sleeping pills I gave them. You see, my dad usually can't sleep, so he takes two almost every night to get some sleep but he doesn't like to swallow his pills, so he crushes them into powder, and then, since he has a sweet tooth, puts the powdered pills on his ice-cream before bed. Those things put him out of commission for nearly 10 hours," Mark explained. "Where the "tweebs" come in, is there is no way their mother will allow them out this late so they doctored her food and here they are."   
  
"You're evil… but I like that," London laughed. "But if you invited Cody, Zack and the two of us, what's Arwin doing here?" She asked, pointing to the hotel's engineer and inventor.  
  
"Oh, I wasn't really invited. I stayed here tonight to work on a new invention, and when I heard Zack and Cody walking around the corridors at this time of night I decided to investigate…" Arwin started to answer.  
  
"... And ended up staying…" Mark interrupted. "I don't blame you, man, my recipes are the best, and you'll soon find out I'm not exaggerating."  
  
Maddie sighed and gave up. She just hoped none of them would get caught.  "Okay, so what have you prepared for us, hmm?" She and London took a seat at one of the many work tables in the room.  
  
"Well, for starters, I'm going to make some bacon and eggs, using real bacon and real eggs, not the stuff they serve you in those cheap hotels, making you pay for it, even though you know that those are just powdered eggs and cheap smoked ham," he said, as he finished slicing the bacon into very thin slices, and tossing them into a hot pan.   
  
"Then I'm going to make a delicious tortilla I learned to make during the year I lived in Mexico City, accompanied by a delicious fried rice with red, yellow and green jalapeños. Oh, and be sure to leave some space in your stomachs, because I'm going to prepare something very special for desert, which you guys are going to love it… So what do you say?"  
  
"That's not a late-night snack… That's a three course meal!" Maddie exclaimed.  
  
"It depends on your point of view. You're talking to a guy who's able to eat 5 pizzas for lunch, along with a king-size bottle of soda." Mark smirked. "And speaking of which, I completely forgot, I need two things when I'm cooking...a soda and these here…"   
  
Grabbing a back pack that was near him, he pulled out about fifteen or sixteen picture frames. He laid them on the table for them to see. These were photos of various celebrities in which he and his father also appeared. Staring at them, everyone recognized most of the images and called out their names.  
  
After saying that, he grabbed a back pack that was near him, and pulled out from it about fifteen or sixteen picture frames. These were photos of various celebrities, in which he and his father also appeared. They took a look at them, and immediately recognized some of them.   
  
"Elton John, Mick Jagger, Lindsay Lohan, Larry King, the Spice Girls, Michael J. Fox, Kate Beckinsale, Lula da Silva, Robert Downey Jr., Jacques Chirac, Demi Lovato, Rowan Atkinson, Tom Hanks, Madonna, Will Smith, Johnny Depp and Tim Burton… this is amazing! You took pictures with some of the most famous individuals in the world," Maddie said, excitedly, picking up one of the pictures where Mark and his father were shaking hands with Larry King.  
  
"Yeah, and my room is filled with even more of these. I always bring a few of them down with me when I'm cooking because I like to be surrounded by some of the best individuals in the world. It's an artist thing, you know?"   
  
"Whoa… you even got one with Bill Clinton." Cody exclaimed.   
  
"That one was taken a year before his wife decided to run for President, in their house in Florida." Mark said modestly.   
  
"Just one question; when did you take this photo, with five of the hottest girls in the planet?" –Zack asked, holding up the photo of Mark and the Spice Girls.  
  
"That one was taken during their reconciliation in 2002, in Paris. My father and I had the privilege of watching that happen, because he was going to interview them for a book, and well, as they say, the rest is history. As for the book, the five main characters of Rock n' Roll and Destruction were heavily based on them."      
  
"You wouldn't be considering taking a photo with moi, would you?" London asked.   
  
"Well, I was actually thinking about taking a photo with everyone in the hotel in it, or at least, the people I've grown close to since I moved here… so, when the time comes, I'll let you know, okay?" Mark told her, as he started beating the eggs in a bowl.  
  
The room was warm and cozy as they continued to talk and discuss the photos and Mark's interesting life. Gradually, Zack and Cody began to notice, at about the same time, that something odd was going on between Maddie and London.  
  
Whenever either one looked toward the other, they seem to blush then look away nervously. Now why would they be doing that? Something was going on but what it could be, neither twin could guess.  
  
The matter was shelved when Mark called out the first course, serving it up on six plates.    
  
"Hope you guys like my cooking... trust me, Lindsay loved this meal," Mark said, giving the photo with the actress in question a glance.   
  
Arwin was the first to dig in. He blinked in surprise pleasure. What he tasted was better than any meal made by Chef Paolo. He was certain even the chef would agree these were the best bacon and eggs he'd ever eaten.  
  
"These are really great! What's your secret?" Arwin asked, downing his portion eagerly.  
  
"Secret? It's really easy… instead of using margarine; I use olive oil with a little touch of vinegar. And for the eggs, I put a pinch of baking soda. It's actually just little touches I picked up over the years."  
  
Everyone praised this very crazy chef and his cooking. When he was about to prepare the tortilla, he saw he needed yet another ingredient, so he went to look for it. The kitchen was enormous, and he had to request the twins' help finding what he needed.  
  
Returning to the main area again, he turned on the radio for background music during their meal. As he reached the stove, he smiled at the sound of a favorite song beginning to play. He hummed the words as he set about making the next course.  
  
 _So many words for the broken heart_  
 _It's hard to see in a crimson love_  
 _So hard to breathe_  
 _Walk with me, and maybe_  
 _Nights of light so soon become_  
 _Wild and free I can feel the sun_  
 _Your every wish will be done_  
  
" _Oh please, not that song by the Backstreet Boys_ " Maddie thought, unhappily. It was one of their sadder songs and it always made her cry and that was something she really didn't want to do here with everyone staring. Also, she didn't want anyone to know she was in love with her best friend as she would get emotional enough to blurt it out and embarrass herself and London.    
  
 _They tell me..._  
  
 _Show me the meaning of being lonely_  
 _Is this the feeling I need to walk with_  
 _Tell me why I can't be there where you are_  
 _There's something missing in my heart_  
  
 _Life goes on as it never ends_  
 _Eyes of stone observe the trends_  
 _They never say forever gaze if only..._  
 _Guilty roads to an endless love (endless love)_  
 _There's no control_  
 _Are you with me now_  
 _Your every wish will be done_  
 _They tell me..._  
  
" _With every song in the world out there, why does it have to be this one the radio would play now?_ " London thought bleakly.  
  
 _Show me the meaning of being lonely_  
 _Is this the feeling I need to walk with_  
 _Tell me why I can't be there where you are_  
 _There's something missing in my heart_  
  
 _There's nowhere to run_  
 _I have no place to go_  
 _Surrender my heart, body, and soul_  
 _How can it be you're asking me to feel the things you never show_  
  
 _You are missing in my heart_  
 _Tell me why I can't be there where you are_  
  
" _If the music doesn't end soon, I swear that I'm going to have a heart attack, right here, right now._ " Maddie thought, a bit in panic now.   
  
_Show me the meaning of being lonely_  
 _Is this the feeling I need to walk with_  
 _Tell me why I can't be there where you are_  
 _There's something missing in my heart_  
  
 _Show me the meaning of being lonely_  
 _Is this the feeling I need to walk with_  
 _Tell me why I can't be there where you are_  
 _There's something missing in my heart_  
  
Maddie was greatly relieved that she had been too distracted to really pay attention to the song and so didn't start tearing up by the time the song ran its course and something else more upbeat began. Mark was putting his tortillas in the oven as she stewed about her feelings for London. What was she to do about these feelings? Should she suck it up and tell her friend or continue to keep mum?  
  
While Maddie's head filled with questions, London took the more direct approach to trying to deal with the growing discomfort and uneasiness she was feeling about her and her friend. She put a hand on her stomach and left her seat, making a big pretense that she wasn't feeling well.  
  
"Sorry, Mark. I'm not feeling well so I'll go back to my room. Enjoy yourselves and don't worry about me. Thanks for inviting me Mark, maybe we can do this again sometime."  
  
With that, London beat a quick retreat out of the kitchen before anyone could ask her anything or follow her.  
  
Surprised by her sudden action, Mark checked his tortillas and said aloud, "I hope she's okay."  
  
Though a bit surprised as well by London's sudden departure, Cody shrugged and said, "Don't worry. London will be fine, believe me. Whatever is going on with her, she'll be right as rain later this morning."  
  
"If you say so...." Mark responded though he still wasn't sure there wasn't something more going on. London seemed to get ill rather suddenly and she certainly didn't look sick. Something smells fishy and I'm going to find out what it is, he promised himself.   
  
Waiting for the elevator, London sighed at her close escape. She just couldn't handle all these new emotions and be with her friends at the same time. She needed time to sort out these feelings she was having about her best friend and decide what she was going to do about it.


	6. Be Honest with Yourself

Over the next week, London tried to forget her newly discovered feelings for Maddie. Hoping those strange feelings would disappear, she began avoiding her friend both at home and at school but she hated doing that as it felt like betrayal. However, she just couldn't acknowledge that she felt love for another female.  
  
But it wasn't easy trying to shut down something that insisted she own up to especially at night in the dark of her room. She tossed sleeplessly as her thoughts drifted constantly toward the girl with the beautiful body and mind that she was growing to adore.   
  
By Friday, she was about ready to pull her hair out or jump out of a window, so fixated was she on Maddie. Rising tired and frustrated yet again, she decided to skip school and do her favorite thing… shopping... in hopes of pushing away her frustrations about the situation.   
  
Making her way to one of her favorite shopping malls, she sat inside her black limo on the drive over and thought hard about why she was doing what she was doing. Why was she running away from the one she cared for so much? Was she truly that upset about realizing she loved Maddie? No answers did she find by the time the limo pulled up to the entrance of the mall. Banishing those unproductive thoughts, she hurried into her favorite shoe store.  
  
"Oh! This pink sweater is to die for and those pink books are the perfect match to it!" She exclaimed running to pull the first from the rack then go and pick up the pair of shoes she wanted to try on.  
  
Leaving the store pleased with her new purchases, she made a beeline for the next shop nearby. For the rest of the morning, she went from shop to shop, buying something from each. On the last stop before lunch, as she cruised the aisles, she heard a song by Madonna coming from the speakers over her head. It was one of her favorites. She hummed along with the lyrics as she shopped.  
  
 _Some boys kiss me, some boys hug me_  
 _I think they're o.k._  
 _If they don't give me proper credit_  
 _I just walk away_  
  
 _They can beg and they can plead_  
 _But they can't see the light, that's right_  
 _'cause the boy with the cold hard cash_  
 _Is always mister right, 'cause we are_  
  
 _Living in a material world_  
 _And I am a material girl_  
 _You know that we are living in a material world_  
 _And I am a material girl_  
  
" _I just love this song! It's so me!_ " She thought, as she tried out a pair of baby blue thigh high boots she had found.  
  
 _Some boys romance, some boys slow dance_  
 _That's all right with me_  
 _If they can't raise my interest then I_  
 _Have to let them be_  
  
 _Some boys try and some boys lie but_  
 _I don't let them play, no way_  
 _Only boys who save their pennies_  
 _Make my rainy day, 'cause we are_  
  
 _Living in a material world [material]_  
 _Living in a material world_  
  
 _Boys may come and boys may go_  
 _And that's all right you see_  
 _Experience has made me rich_  
 _And now they're after me, 'cause everybody's_  
  
 _A material, a material, a material, a material world,_  
  
 _Living in a material world [material]_  
 _Living in a material world_  
  
Still humming the song, she paid for her purchase then exited the shop. She paused to think where she wanted to go next. Perhaps she should buy something extra special.  That would mean the jeweler's store. Smiling in excitement, she headed down the hall till she reached the high end store and stared at all the precious and sparkling stones glittering at her from the display window. Going inside, she sidled up to the nearest display case and pointed at a few of the diamond rings she wanted to try on.  
  
As she stared at the gleaming stones on her finger, she decided it just wasn't her style and returned it to the clerk then spied a beautiful diamond and ruby necklace in the next case. There was a matching tiara beside it with the largest diamond she'd ever seen. She just had to try it on.  
  
She loved how they looked on her though she didn't feel she'd ever wear the tiara.  However, she decided to buy both anyway feeling the jewelry had chosen her rather than she'd chosen them. They just seem right for her.  
  
Tired and hungry from her morning of shopping, London went to the food court for lunch. Ignoring her diet, she went for pizza. Though the day had lifted her spirits for a little while, the feeling began to fade fairly quickly leaving her blue again.   
The day should have been fun and exhilarating but something vital was missing.  She hated to admit it, but without Maddie the whole day felt empty. When the two of them went shopping together it was always fun and exciting.   
  
She finished her lunch with less enthusiasm. Grabbing her purchases, she called her limo to meet her at the nearest exit. Her driver appeared quickly and opened her door.  She tossed her things inside then climbed in. The driver got in and waited politely. She told him to return to the hotel.  
  
The trip back seemed longer and more depressing than the trip to the mall had been.  She sighed and stared out the window at the passing traffic, her mind lost in its own thoughts.  
  
When they arrived at the hotel, the driver went out and helped her with her packages and bags. Once she had a good hold on it all, she dismissed him and trudged through the door the doorman had opened for her and on to the elevator bank. She failed to hear the hails from Cody and Zack nor Moseby's greeting from right beside her.  
  
"London?! London?! Are you alright?" Moseby asked, concerned enough to reach out and touch her arm, something he wouldn't ordinarily do.   
  
London startled and stopped in her tracks, turning her head to stare at the man in confusion. "Oh...uh...yeah...I'm fine....just super tired," she managed to say, adding a wane smile.  
  
He returned the smile though there was still a look of concern in his eyes. He held the elevator while she got on. The doors closed and she was alone again. She stared at the far wall without seeing it. The doors shushed open again and she walked to her room with steps that seemed heavy and reluctant.  
  
She was glad Maddie hadn't seen her, the girl's back had been to her when she'd come in. Maddie worked Friday afternoons so was busy behind the counter when London stepped into the lobby and continued to be busy when London vanished into the elevator.  
  
London was glad she hadn't been spotted by her friend. She just couldn't face her. Unlocking the door to her penthouse with her keycard, she stepped inside and let the door close behind her. She dropped her bags, carelessly, onto the nearby couch in the living room then dragged herself to the bedroom.    
  
Listlessly, she removed her outer garments, tossing them in a nearby chair, stepped out of her shoes then flopped atop her bed with only her bra and panties on. She stared up at the ceiling for several moments then turned her head to look at her nearby night stand. On it was a picture frame holding a photo of her and Maddie, smiling and holding each other. It had been taken at a surprise birthday party, London had arranged with the help of everyone that knew Maddie. It had been a fantastic success.  
  
Staring at their smiling faces, London remembered how happy they'd been and how much it meant to her to make her friend so happy then her mind drifted to that night they'd spent together.    
  
Her thoughts took a decidedly more intimate detour as she remembered how it felt to lie spooning against Maddie that night. A heat began from her nether regions as she thought about how much she wanted to do other things with Maddie; naughty things.  
Putting actions to those imaginings, her right hand snuck down to her panties and her other hand began fondling her breasts. Her own touch to the sensitive folds of her clitoris made her gasp and moan with desire.  
  
She kept her touch light but continued to stroke it making her hotter and more aroused by the minute. Her mind focused on the beautiful body she wished was with her, as well as the delicious lips, as she continued to pleasure herself. All her nerve endings were on high alert and she was more swollen and wet than she could ever remember being before.  
  
"Hmmm… Maddie… please, kiss me…" She murmured aloud, imagining those hot lips against her own.   
  
Each circle with her fingers drew another moan as her other hand gently pinched and played with her breasts, the nipples hardening and increasing her feeling of urgency and pleasure. As her excitement rose, she threw her head back and arched her spine. Her fingers began to move more rapidly, the tension drawing tighter and tighter as she reached for the light she was just beginning to see behind her closed eyes.    
  
Lightning struck, her toes curled as her orgasm shot through her and she yelled Maddie's name. The power of it left her dazed and warm but the endorphins soon began to ease away leaving her even more depressed.  
  
She rolled over and began sobbing into her pillow. The tears became harsh and ragged as all her needs and desires were poured out into her bedding. A feeling of hopelessness that she would never have what she desired only made the tears fall harder and last longer.  
             
She didn't know how long she'd wept but her eyes were dry and sore and her nose red by the time she halted. Peering at the clock next to her, she saw it was going on two in the afternoon. Her throat was sore and she could image how she looked with her mascara smeared and her hair mussed. Sighing, she rolled off her bed and made for the bathroom. Not daring to stare at her image in the mirror, she turned on the shower then stepped in and washed off. Thirty minutes later, feeling marginally better, she went out into the living room heading for her mini kitchen wearing her favorite fluffy, thick, bathrobe.  
  
She barely crossed the living space when a knock came on her front door. Frowning she paused... should she answer it? She really didn't feel like company. When the knock persisted, she sighed and went to see who it might be.  Peering through the peep hole she saw it was Mark. Oh no, not him!  
  
Go away! I don't want to see anyone! She thought at him, not answering the door.  
  
"London, I know you're in.  It's Mark and I have something to show you.  Please let me!" Mark insisted.   
  
London rested her head against the door. After all that crying, she still looked a mess even after the shower so she certainly didn't want to see anyone. She continued to ignore him. But what he said next made her change her mind.  
  
With his mouth close to the door, Mark said just loud enough to be heard by her and no one else, "I know you're upset and I know why! You're in love with Maddie. Let me in so I can talk with you about it."   
  
Shocked, London's face paled. He knows? How could he? She was too stunned to respond at first. She thought certain what she felt had been a secret… obviously not.  
  
"Alright, just wait there a minute…" She finally said. No way would she greet him dressed only in a robe.  
  
Moving away to the bedroom, she stared blindly into her enormous closet wondering what she should wear. Then she snorted… stop delaying and get dressed, she told herself sternly. Pulling out a simple pantsuit, she quickly dressed.  
  
Meanwhile, Mark sighed, looked at his watch, and then stared down the hallway for a bit before returning his attention to the still locked door. What the heck was she doing? He wondered.  
  
Then the door opened and there stood a simply dressed London eyeing him uneasily. Without saying anything, she gestured for Mark to enter her home. Obeying her command, he stepped over the threshold and waited till she closed the door. He held a tray in his one hand.  
  
"Before we talk, I have something to show you," he said soothingly. Walking into the room, he laid the covered tray on the coffee table then lifted the lid to reveal a beautifully made tortilla covered in fried rice and jalapenos on a plate served with a slice of delicious looking cheesecake with chocolate topping.  
  
A look of surprised pleasure lit her tired face.    
  
"You didn't have the chance to try my specialties the other night so I thought I would make a plate just for you and bring it up for you to try" Mark said, pleased he'd gotten her to smile.  
  
"That was so sweet of you," London managed to say, blushing.  
  
"You're very welcome. Come… sit down and try it… I bet you're hungry," he coaxed, gently guiding her to the couch, making her sit then taking a seat beside her.  
  
London took a couple of bites of the tortilla and one of the cheesecake, complimenting him on his culinary skills which were exceptional before putting her forks down and facing him.  
  
"Why do you think I care about Maddie that way?"  She asked, not wanting to admit it nor find out everyone knew about it.  
  
She twisted a napkin between her fingers, a sign of how upset she was besides the tension in her body.   
  
Mark sighed, eyeing her earnestly. "Before I respond to that, I want you to answer a question for me. What am I?"  
  
She blinked at him in confusion. "Huh? What do you mean?"  
  
"Just what I said what exactly am I?"  
  
Still confused, London said, hesitantly, "Well besides being a very handsome and intelligent boy..."  
  
"Exactly!" He smiled at her as she frowned at him. "I'm a young man who has flirted with and gotten only a lukewarm response in return. Oh, you were very polite and a delightful person but you didn't see me as anything but a friend. What else am I?"  
  
Still looking bewildered and wondering where he was going with this line of questioning, London responded, "well, you're an artist and said you were a writer as well."  
  
"That's right.  I'm an excellent artist and as such, I see things normal people don't.  Artists have a different perspective and can see certain behaviors in our subjects that give us clues on how that person thinks.  Based on my observations, whenever Maddie is around, you behave in a certain way."  
  
Frowning now, London asked, "Behave how?"  
  
"Well you act more possessive… like, she's mine, keep away… is one message I get clearly, then there's your constant blushing when she's close like last night when the two of you acted rather uncomfortable whenever you accidentally touched one another. It wasn't until you ducked out with that flimsy excuse of being sick last Friday, and then skipped school today that I was able to put the pieces together and realize what I was seeing. You and Maddie love each other but you've not declared yourselves so you're both scared and uncertain about what to do next," Mark explained.  
  
"How can you be so certain when we aren't," she demanded, not convinced.  
  
Mark shrugged. "Because I've seen this behavior time and time again in my travels with my father. Loving the same sex is nothing new. Though it isn't accepted by most societies that well, it doesn't make it untrue or go away. You'd be surprised how many celebrities are lovers of the same sex but keep it secret."  
  
London stared at him in shocked surprise then burst into tears, surprising him. He quickly wrapped his arms around her and tried to soothe her as she sobbed anew.   
  
"Easy, easy there London… it's not the end of the world… promise."  
  
It took London some minutes to calm again. Mark pulled a tissue box over and handed it to her. She grabbed a few and blew her nose and wiped her eyes.  
  
"It's… it's just been so hard to deal with the feelings I was having much less admit to having them and how could I be sure Maddie felt the same?" She choked. "I just know I care for her a lot but don't know how to tell her."  
  
"Yeah, that's what I thought," Mark sighed, giving her a tight hug then releasing her.  
  
"What… what do I do about it?"  
  
"You have to tell her. I'm certain, more than anything now, that she'd just as concerned about this as you and just as uncertain. You'll both remain unhappy if you don't talk about and soon," he insisted.  
  
"No… I can't!" London suddenly burst out.  
  
"But, why?"  
  
"Look at me! I'm stupid, selfish, spoiled, and have an I.Q. of a raisin… and worst yet, I'm a rich bitch! I'm trying to be better, really I am… but I'm just kidding myself and everyone else… I'm not good at anything but shopping and worrying about how I look. How can someone as bright, beautiful, and thoughtful as Maddie be interested in me?"   
  
"London… Stop that!" Mark said, sharply, giving the girl a brief shake. "You are not stupid and the only one I know of with an IQ of a raisin is Paris Hilton. Yes, you're rich and maybe a little spoiled but you've got a good heart and Maddie sees that in you. She has admitted to liking you with all your faults and stands up for you against anyone who says otherwise about you."    
  
London stared at him still not believing though she did know Maddie had told her she was smart in other ways than book learning.   
  
"And you're definitely not selfish. The fact you can admit you're in love with Maddie but still willing to let her go, proves that," Mark insisted. "London, believe me when I tell you that you're not a bad or evil person, and Maddie feels the same way."   
  
"But how can you be so sure?"  
  
"Nothing in life is certain but if you want to be happy, you have to be willing to take a chance and go get it. If Maddie is who you want then you need to be brave and tell her how you feel. That's the only way you'll know for certain if what you feel is the same as her feelings but hiding from her isn't the way to do it," he told her sternly. "Yeah, we're still only kids and we do make fools of ourselves often but that's how we learn.  Hiding keeps you from maturing and allows hurt feelings and misunderstandings to make us miserable. But if you want to grow to adulthood then you have to learn to be brave and bite the bullet and getting past your fears."  
  
London sighed and shredded the tissue in her hands. "I wish I could do what you say but I'm too afraid of making a fool of myself."  
  
"Don't we all but if we never act then we stay stuck as unhappy dweebs," Mark sighed. "Unfortunately, I can't really be certain what Maddie feels for you as she's very difficult to read."  
  
"What? But you just said...."  
  
"Take it easy. What I told you was what she said to me and a few things I've seen her do or say but knowing for certain…" he spread his hands, "… I can't really tell. There are people out there that are able to hide how they feel better than others and are able to keep secrets… Maddie is like that. I can't read her as well as I can you. That's because you wear your emotions in plain view. I bet you are bad at keeping secrets too, eh?"  
  
London blushed and nodded.  
  
"Unfortunately, Maddie is very good at hiding what she's thinking and I have no doubt she can keep a secret. Listen, I think she will only open up to someone she truly trusts and I feel certain that person is you from what I've observed."  
  
"Yes, it's true she does trust me."  
  
"See. Well, anyway, my mom always told me if you love someone you must be willing to fight for them, even if that love seems rather impossible or ridiculous to others," he said gently.  
  
"Your mom sounds like a wonderful person," London sighed, wiping her eyes.   
  
"She was. I knew her for such a short time and I miss her warmth and wisdom dreadfully," he said; a sadness in his face and voice.   
  
"Oh, does that mean she's...."  
  
"Dead? Yes... she died in a car accident when I was only 7. I don't exactly remember her very well, but the memories I have of her, are mostly happy ones."   
  
"You're lucky to have had her then even if it had been a short time. Sad to say, I don't know my parents very well at all, as they never stay around much… it's very much like they were dead, you know?" London said, sadly, as a tear ran down her cheek.    
  
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Well, at least you have us to keep you company and be there when you need someone though I know that doesn't replace parental love," he said gently, patting her on the back.  
  
For a moment they were silent then Mark said, "Well, anyway… I just wanted to come and tell you what I know and bring you the meal you missed. What I think you should do now since you're too afraid to confront Maddie is to do something else that might help you know what she's feeling. To do that we've decided to help you prove your love in ways Maddie can't help but understand loudly and clearly so there's no misunderstandings."   
  
London frowned and turned to stare at him questioningly. "What do you mean by 'we'?"  
  
He didn't respond. Instead he pulled out his cell phone and texted a message to someone. Only seconds later, there came a knock on her door again.  Mark got up and answered it.    
  
She blinked in surprise when Cody burst in. Mark closed the door and the two came to sit on either side of her.  
  
"Cody?" London stared at him a moment then turned her head to speak to Mark. "So, just how many people know about my 'situation'?" she demanded.  
  
"Don't stress out! I'm the only one who knows besides Mark, London. I had my own suspicions from watching you two so we got together and planned an intervention," Cody cut in before Mark could.  
  
"Aren't you kind of young to be understanding things like this?"  
  
Cody snorted. "Remember, I'm the smart one and living in a hotel has taught me a lot.  And don't worry; I have no intention of telling my brother. He can't keep a secret to save his life. Anyway, Mark and I decided you needed our help with testing Maddie to see how she truly feels about you but it's not going to be easy as she's a tough nut to crack."  
  
London had to agree that was true but she wasn't so certain this was such a good idea but she knew there was no way to keep Cody from doing what he was going to do so she listened to his and Mark's ideas with some trepidation.


	7. How Did I Fal in Love?

While Mark and Cody attempted to help London dealing with her feelings, in the lobby, Maddie was having one of the most boring afternoons ever. After helping the last two clients, she put away all the new supplies that had arrived earlier in the day; cleaned the display cases and general area of the candy counter; then read two magazines. With a couple of hours left of her shift, she had nothing to do but to dwell on her feelings for London.   
  
Knowing you love your best friend but having no idea if she felt the same, left her frustrated, sad and empty. There was also the issue of whether London even liked girls. It felt like she did, if those looks and touches she'd given Maddie were any indication. She sighed and shook her head violently. This was getting her nowhere. She needed advice.  
    
Not caring what Moseby might say, she closed and locked the counter, put on the closed sign, then stood thinking a moment. Who could advise her and not be upset by a same sex love? She immediately discarded most of the people she knew from the hotel.   
  
Zack was definitely out of the question. He wanted Maddie to be his girlfriend, and he would be real unhappy to learn she wanted London instead. Arwin or Esteban might be viable options, but no… this was too personal and since they were men, they might be disgusted or not really pleased about her choice. Moseby knew London better than anyone else, but even he might have problems dealing with Maddie revealing she loved the girl.   
  
The only possibilities left were Millicent, Muriel and Carey, and there was no saying if any of them would be sympathetic about her situation at all or whether they had some issues with same sex love. She knew that Muriel would obviously tell her that she had eaten something that made her start having crazy thoughts and that she should just forget about it and move on. Millicent, on the other hand was closer to her in age, but Maddie had never regarded her as the kind of girl who could give her good advices. After some thought, she eliminated the two of them and settled on Carey.   
  
At this time of day, Maddie knew Carey would be practicing for the night's show in the ballroom. Grabbing her courage, she hurried off. She found Carey standing on the stage working on a new song. The woman loved different styles of music so she had to decide each day what style she was going to perform that night and put together a program of songs based on it. At this moment though, it sounded like she was adding fresh material to her stock and was presently trying out another song, she had carefully chosen.    
  
Maddie walked in quietly so she wouldn't disturb Carey while listening to the song the woman sang. She realized after a few bars that she recognized the piece.              
  
 _Remember when, we never needed each other_  
 _The best of friends like_  
 _Sister and Brother_  
 _We understood, we'd never be_  
 _Alone_  
  
 _Those days are gone, and I want you so much_  
 _The night is long and I need your touch_  
 _Don't know what to say_  
 _I never meant to feel this way_  
 _Don't want to be_  
 _Alone tonight_  
  
 _What can I do, to make you mine_  
 _Falling so hard so fast this time_  
 _What did I say, what did you do?_  
 _How did I fall in love with you?_  
  
 _I hear your voice_  
 _And I start to tremble_  
 _Brings back the child that, I resemble_  
  
 _I cannot pretend, that we can still be friends_  
 _Don't want to be,_  
 _Alone tonight_  
  
 _What can I do, to make you mine_  
 _Falling so hard so fast this time_  
 _What did I say, what did you do?_  
 _How did I fall in love with you?_  
  
 _Oh I want to say this right_  
 _And it has to be tonight_  
 _Just need you to know, oh yeah_  
  
 _I don't want to live this life_  
 _I don't want to say goodbye_  
 _With you I wanna spend_  
 _The rest of my life_  
  
 _What can I do, to make you mine_  
 _Falling so hard so fast this time_  
 _What did I say, what did you do?_  
 _How did I fall in love with you?_  
  
 _What can I do, to make you mine_  
 _Falling so hard so fast this time_  
 _Everything's changed, we never knew_  
  
 _How did I fall,_  
 _in love ,_  
 _with you?_  
  
As Carey finished singing, she saw Maddie huddled against the ballroom's entrance, arms wrapped around her chest and big tears coursing down her lovely face. Shocked, she put the microphone on its stand and hurried off the stage to Maddie's side.  
  
"Oh, Maddie, sweetie, what ever's the matter?" She asked, worriedly, gathering the young female in her arms to provide what comfort she could.   
  
"It… It's nothing… truly… the song just hit a chord with me and it made me cry." Maddie choked. The song was too much like her problem for her to want to discuss it now.   
  
Shaking her head, Carey, pulled back enough to stare at the girl in the face. "That isn't the whole reason, I can tell. With boys like Cody and Zack to care for, I'm too well attuned to hidden emotions to be fooled. I've noticed you've been out of sorts for a while Madeline... you and London. So out with it! What's truly bothering you?" She demanded gently. "Here, dry those tears." She gave Maddie her handkerchief and guided her further into the ballroom and made her sit at one of the many tables in the room then sat beside her. She gave the girl a gentle caress to the face while she waited for Maddie to calm down in order for them to continue their conversation.  
  
Nobody called Maddie by her full name, with the exception of her own mother. But Carey was more than a friend. Maddie considered her a surrogate mother and would bring her problems sometimes when her own mother wasn't available or when she had a subject she didn't feel comfortable mentioning to her mother like now. Both Carey and her mother would never judge her and always would try to help her by advising her.     
  
Still, this was a far more delicate matter and not because it was about falling in love. Even her mother might have problems with a same sex love. Now sitting her with Carey's concerned eyes on her, Maddie felt reluctant to discuss this with her. After hesitating for long minutes, she finally let out a sigh and decided to just go ahead... after all, she had come this far, so she might as well go all the way; that's what she thought.  
  
"The song… it is me exactly….and I don't know what to do," she said, miserably.   
  
Carey's eyes widened in surprise then narrowed in puzzled confusion. "Really? So what part of it is the problem? You haven't told this person or you have and he's rejected you?"   
  
"No… it's a little more complicated than that… In fact, it's a lot more complicated than that. I feel so frustrated, afraid, and mixed up that I think I might explode," Maddie admitted.   
  
"Oh, we can't have that," Carey chided, amused but hiding it. Youngsters always make something as simple as love so complicated. "Why don't you tell me why it's such a problem and who is the lucky guy?" She encouraged then was surprised when Maddie winced and looked even more reluctant to tell her anything. What on earth?  
  
The moment Carey said 'who's the boy' Maddie wanted to disappear. This was going to be even more difficult than she thought. There was a lump as big as a rock in her throat that she swore she wouldn't be able to speak around. Looking away from that caring face, she frantically tried to decide what to do. Her mind was divided into two. A part of her was telling her to tell Carey the truth, while the other was telling her to not tell a thing.    
  
If she didn't tell Carey, the woman would learn about it anyway, she was very good at finding the truth so trying to evade answering would do her any good. But, darn it, telling her she loved her best friend wasn't something easy to say, even if you wanted to.    
  
Turning her face back to Carey who was looking truly worried and confused now, she took a deep breath and let it out. "That's the problem, Carey, it's not a guy… it's a girl…" she whispered the last part, afraid of what Carey's reaction would be. She couldn't stop the tears that began falling from her eyes, once more.  
  
Shock kept Carey from speaking but no matter what she might say about this surprise, Maddie's anguish needed venting.  So without a word, she leaned close and pulled the girl into her arms again and hugged letting the tears run their course.  
  
It took some time but finally Maddie calmed and gained enough sense to blow her nose and wipe her eyes on the borrowed handkerchief. She knew her face was a mess... Make-up smeared, eyes red, and there was still a lump in her throat but she was calmer now.  
  
Carey gave her a warm smile. "Feel better?"  
  
Surprised to see the smile, Maddie nodded. "Aren't… Aren't you angry with me, Carey?"   
  
"Of course not, Maddie, though I understand why you might have thought I would be. Loving the same sex isn't something society accepts and not what your parents taught you. But we're not you and we have no right to judge you. You love who you love and that's that. If you're seeking my opinion then, as a friend, I think you should listen to what your heart is telling you and not what people might say or do."  
  
Maddie blinked her sore eyes and stared at her incredibly understanding friend. Carey was absolutely right… but she still felt she was on the edge of a precipice and about to fall.  
  
Trying her best to help Maddie move forward, Carey asked a rather inane question but, really, what did one ask under these strange circumstances? "Uhm Maddie, how long have you known you were a… lesbian?"  
  
Maddie winced. "I don't think of myself as one at all… this is the first and only time I've felt anything for someone of my own sex. I'm only attracted to one person and she's very special to me."  
  
Carey blinked at that admission. Oookay... that's interesting. "Oh, okay, then who is this special girl? Is it someone in the hotel? By chance, do I happen to know her?"  
  
Blushing furiously, Maddie whispered, "It's London…" She had spoken so softly, Carey was forced to ask her to repeat her answer. Huffing a bit, Maddie blurted "It's London; I'm in love with my best friend."  
  
"London? Our London, Maddie?" Carey gasped, not quite believing she heard that right but Maddie nodded her head miserably. She had no idea how to react to that news. She was frankly flabbergasted.  
  
The idea of being in love with another girl was disturbing enough; but to be in love with the heiress of the Tipton Hotels, her best friend in the whole world, that was cause for concern… London's parents were probably not going to like that and Maddie… well, if she said she nurtured deeper feelings for London, she really meant it. After all, Maddie was not a flighty sort. What a mess!  
  
"Do you really love her, Maddie?" She finally asked.   
  
"I never felt anything so intense in my life, Carey. All those boys I dated never made me feel something like this before so, yeah, it's the real thing and it scares me," Maddie admitted.   
  
"I bet it does. Tell me… exactly when did you realize just how you felt for her?"  
  
"Well… you know we've been very close since we became friends and despite all the trouble she got me in, I've always forgiven her. So over time I began to realize I could forgive her anything, just as long as we never parted. It wasn't until recently that I began to realize my feelings had gone past mere friendship." She pulled back and Carey released her so they could study each other's faces.  
  
"I guess you could say it crystallized for me when we had that recent sleepover in her place. Things just seemed to click between us over that single night."  
  
"Does she know you love her, Maddie?"  
  
"I… don't know for certain. It feels like she does… some of the looks she gives me… the touches… but I can't be sure and I don't… I can't lose her friendship," Maddie said, a bit desperately. "I'm so afraid she will call me a freak and never speak to me again and I just can't bear that happening! It would destroy me!"   
  
"Maddie…" Carey tried to interrupt, but the girl's fears over rode her.  
  
"What's worse is I'm Irish Catholic! It's forbidden to love the same sex alone my own friend! If it gets out that I love her and she turns from me… I'll be shunned and won't have any love to sustain me through all the anger and hatred I might have to deal with…" Maddie was getting hysterical the more she talked about her fears. "There won't be any point in living after that…"  
  
"MADDIE!!! Stop this!" Carey said firmly, grabbing Maddie's shoulders and shaking her hard.   
  
The girl blinked stupidly for a moment at the concerned face staring into hers before biting her lip in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Carey. My nerves and fears were making me say stupid and irrational things."   
  
"No, not stupid or irrational; just plain scared is all. But it's obvious just how much you love her otherwise you wouldn't be saying stuff like that." Carey sighed. "However, no matter how scary it might be and I won't belittle how much trouble this is going to cause you both, you have to tell her what you feel." Taking Maddie's hands in her own, Carey said, "Believe me, no matter how hard or impossible it seems now, holding back will only cause you further pain and misery and that alone could destroy your life and friendships. Listen, when I met Zack and Cody's dad, I thought I would go crazy, I loved him so much but every time I got near him, I became tongue-tied and felt a fool around him. However, one day I finally told him how I felt and laughed when I found out he cared for me just as much. We made each other miserable with our fears. So holding back gains you nothing more than pain."  
  
"But it's not like your love for him… my kind of love is frowned upon. What if it freaks London out too? How do I deal with that?" Maddie objected.  
  
"I don't really know, Maddie. You know how London is… but, she is your friend, and I know deep inside her heart, she'll never say bad things about you, especially if you're sincere with her," Carey admitted. "All I can advise you to do is trust your heart and your friendship, and see what happens."  
  
It still felt like she was taking her life in her hands but, "You're right! I really do love London and I have a feeling she loves me too.  I'll just have to bite the bullet and tell her so and let what happens....happens," Maddie decided, through butterflies were swarming in her belly about the decision.  
  
"Good for you. I'll keep mum about this until you've had the chance to tell her yourself," Carey promised. "I only want what makes you both happy. We'll solve the problems it might cause alter."  
  
"Thank you…"  
  
Maddie was interrupted by the appearance of Zack who shouted, "Maddie's in love? With who?"   
  
Carey frowned and was about to snap something at her son but Maddie stopped her. "It's okay, Carey. I'll have to tell them all soon and anyway, he thinks he's in love with me and I have to put a stop to that anyway." Maddie hadn't wanted anyone to know until she'd spoken to London first, but with Zack already suspecting she loved someone, he'd never leave her alone until he knew what was going on.  
  
Carey wasn't happy but didn't try to change her mind and remained as her supporter as she told her secret again to Zack. If anything it was even harder to tell him because of his emotional involvement with her but she managed… barely. Zack's mom put in a few words of her own to ease the blow to her son's ego. It seemed to have helped.  
  
"So, you're in love with London, huh?" Zack asked slowly, trying to grasp what he was being told.   
  
Maddie nodded gravely. Trying for a bit of levity during this serious discussion she said lightly, "Pretty much… But, come on; don't feel so bad. You did a fair job of trying to win my heart Zack; it's not your fault it didn't work."  
  
"But I still lost it… and worst yet, to a girl." Zack sighed in defeat.   
  
"I know but Zack… I told you before; you're a little young for me. I think of you like a little brother," Maddie said gently. "I hope you're not mad at me and remain my friend. I'm going to need all my friends when this comes out. No way do I want to lose you now when I'll need you all the most."    
  
Though young, Zack was only too aware of what Maddie faced entering into a same sex relationship. It wasn't pleasant and he was beginning to realize he would have to protect his friends from all the hurtful comments they would face. No, he wouldn't abandon her even if he had truly hoped to date her himself. Coming to a decision, his serious expression brightened and he suddenly reached out and gave her a hard hug.    
  
"No way would I stop being your friend. I and Cody will always be by your side… you and London."  
  
Maddie sighed in relief and gave him a grateful smile when he released her and sat back in his chair. "I do have two conditions, though" he said suddenly.  
  
Frowning in confusion, Maddie eyes him questioningly.  
  
He smiled hugely and said, "Just promise me you make London really super happy, and if it falls apart, or you get tired of her, call me, okay, sweet thang?"   
  
Maddie laughed "Well, I'll try to make her happy… if I get a chance to tell her how I feel, that is. As for the call, well, we'll just have to see won't we?"   
  
"You two are incredible, you know that?!" Carey declared, smiling at their laughter and pleased by her son's adult response to such a serious matter. "All that's left, I guess is for you to pop the question to London."  
  
The way Carey said that made Maddie blush furiously and Zack laugh. Carey realized what she'd said and laughed too. "You know what I meant."  
  
"So how do I go about this?" Maddie asked, anxiety beginning to set in now that she realized she was going to do this.  
  
"Why not just ask her?" Zack asked.  
  
Carey and Maddie rolled their eyes. "What? What's wrong with that?"  
  
"It's a very delicate subject and you don't just blurt it out. It's easier if you approach it in a private setting and set the stage first," Carey said, her face thoughtful.  
  
Zack grimaced at that suggestion. "Sounds like a lot of trouble to me." Then his face brightened "Hey, I'm sure Cody and I could come up with a plan that would work!"    
  
His mother rolled her eyes again. "That's Zack for you. His plans might fail, but you can always count on him."  
  
"Oh, come on, mom, not all my plans are bad!"  
  
"Do you want me to number the times your plans failed, or should I start alphabetically, Zack Martin?" Carey looked at him, trying to discourage him.   
  
"No, I guess not…" Zack finally resigned himself to the fact they did not want his help. "So, who's going to come up with a plan?"  
  
"I am!" His mother said. "And the first thing you have to do is to be quiet about it. No one, but no one, without exception, including your brother, is to know about this, alright, Zack?"  
  
"Why are you telling me that? I can keep a secret, if I want to." Zack declared.  
  
"Oh, yeah? Since when, you big blabbermouth?" Carey teased. "Anyway, you keep your mouth shut, no matter what it happen, got it?" She warned him, making him promise. "Okay, Maddie, let's see what we can do about getting you and London together for this big moment.  
  
Maddie eyed her a bit apprehensively. What she had gotten herself into.


	8. Can't Keep Secrets

Upstairs, in London's room, Mark and Cody walked from on side to the other, trying to come up with a plan that would help London profess her love to Maddie. Little they knew that at the ball room, Zack and Carrie were also doing the same thing. Since she needed to keep her mind cool, London decided to take a swim. Lucky for her, her suite had a private pool, which she really liked to use. She quickly changed into a beautiful blue and red swimming suit, with a white single star on her back. Mark even told her that she looked a little like Captain America. Hearing that, she giggled. Cody went to his room and quickly changed into his swimming shorts. As for Mark, he decided to stay off the pool.  
  
"Come on, the water is just fine!" –London said.   
  
"I don't have any swimming shorts." –Mark answered. –"Besides, I was never fond of swimming."  
  
"What do you mean, you don't have swimming shorts?! You told us that you lived in hotels over the last few years. Don't tell me you never went for a swim in the pool?" –Cody asked him.  
  
"No. What can I tell you? I hate swimming pools. I'm fonder of gymnasiums." –Mark said, as he crouched right next to where Cody was in the pool.     
  
"Come on… get inside here! I'll even lend you one of my credit cards so you can go downstairs and buy one, if you want to." –London said.  
  
"Oh, alright. I'll get inside, but I'm not wearing any swimming shorts." –he said as he took off his tennis shoes and his socks, along with his jacket.   
  
In an expected move, Mark just dived into the pool, with his clothes still on. He became as wet as a duck, but he did not mind. Both London and Cody start to laugh, but quickly stopped.   
  
"Hope you don't mind about me doing this."  
  
"That's okay. You're not the first person to dive in this pool with your clothes on. Arwin also did that once." –London declared.  
  
"Yeah, but he didn't want to, he tripped on one of those pillows there." –Cody pointed out to the enormous pile of pillows that were on the opposite side of the pool. –"But anyway, I think we should go on with business. I still think that the best way for you to tell Maddie, is just to approach her and say it." –Cody declared.   
  
"Cody, I can't do that… not like that." –London complained, as she dived into the water, coming up a few seconds later. –"Oh, I know! I could send her a singing telegram. That way, I would just have to wait for her to reply." –London smiled, happy with the fact of being her to have such a great idea.  
  
"No, that won't do, London. It's too impersonal. You don't profess your love to someone by a telegram, or by phone, or a text message. You have to be there and look that someone in the eyes." –Mark said, as he approached her, trying to keep his head over the water line.  
  
"But you know I can't do that! I'll freak out as soon as I see her, and I'll start babbling about something stupid. Man… this was a lot more easy when I wasn't a lesbian." –she grumbled.   
  
"You mean, a lot easier, London." –Cody corrected her.  
  
"Well, let's start with the most important. How are you going to declare your love to Maddie?" –Mark said, as he got out of the pool and sat on the ledge, closer to where London was. She also did the same thing. –"Let's try one thing. I'll be Maddie, and you are going tell me what you really think of me and how much you love me, okay?" –Mark said, as he grabbed London's hands and held them gently.   
  
"But you can't be Maddie, because if you were Maddie, I would be in love with you and not with the real Maddie, and I want to tell the real Maddie how much I love her and… sorry, it's just that I'm so nervous that I started to blab nonsense." –London said, as she sighed.   
  
"Don't worry, we're just pretending. Come on, let's start…" –Mark said as he cleared his voice, and got ready to impersonate Maddie. –"Ahem, London… I heard that you had something to tell me, what is it?"  
  
Mark's impersonation of Maddie was amazing. He sounded just like her. Cody and London were amazed by how his voice almost resembled Maddie's.   
  
"That… was… the … best… impersonation… I've … ever … heard." –Cody said.   
  
"Thanks, people sometimes say that I should do voice acting… But, let's get to work. Come on, London, answer."  
  
London was still astounded by that, that she did not even know what to say. It was as if Maddie was in that same room. She tried to, but it felt like her throat was completely stuck, and she could not utter a single word.   
  
"I… I can't… your impersonation is just too perfect. You sounded just like her." –London said, as a small tear dropped from her eyes. –"I'll never be able to tell her the truth."  
  
"Yes, you will… Come on; now, don't let this get you down, okay? I'll pretend to be her once again, but this time, you're going to close your eyes, and you'll pretend that there is no one around you… Just, say what your heart tells you."  
  
London took a deep breath, and then closed her eyes. Mark took a few seconds to concentrate and to also give the heiress some time to clear up her mind. Finally, he started.  
  
"Ahem, London… I heard that you had something to tell me, what is it?"  
  
"M-Maddie… I… I don't know how to t-tell you this, but… I love… I love you. Every time I look at you, my heart starts to beat as fast as V12 engine. When I look into your big, beautiful, gorgeous eyes, I see that your soul is the most pure thing that was ever created. Your gentle smile and the way you giggle, makes my head start spinning like a twister, which is actually something funny, and I like it, and finally, you have the body of a true goddess. For all those reasons and many more, I love you, Madeline Margaret Genevieve Miranda Catherine Fitzpatrick, with all my heart and soul." –London said, letting out a deep sigh, when she finished.   
  
Both boys were astounded by what they heard. They never thought, or at least Cody never thought, that London could be so profound. The way she had articulated her words, and how she put them was simply amazing. Never had they heard such a deep, loving, but above all, sincere confession. When London opened her eyes, both Cody and Mark were staring at her, as if they had seen a ghost.  
  
"W-What? Did I do something wrong?" –she asked them, while looking at them, puzzled.  
  
"No. On the contrary, you did great." –Mark said.  
  
"She really loves, Maddie. The way she talked about Maddie, she clearly loves her... nobody calls Maddie by her full name; only her mother." –Cody thought to himself. –"If by any chance, Maddie doesn't love her, London will be heartbroken and may even try to commit suicide. I sure hope that doesn't happen, because if it does, I don't even want to know what might happen after that. "  
  
"I did? I really did?" –she asked them with the sweetest of the smiles.   
  
"Clearly. Where did you get the strength to say all that?" –Mark asked her.                       
  
"I don't know… I was just thinking about Maddie when I said that. It was hard at first, but then, as I said every word, it was as if someone had taken a weight out of my chest, you know?"  
  
"Yeah, I understand you. You've taken a huge leap in assuming your feelings to Maddie, you know?" –Mark stated. –"And you know what? I think I had an idea on how to tell her that you love her."  
  
"How?" –Cody asked.  
  
"Simple… London could give Maddie a present; something that would symbolize your friendship and your possible new relationship, you know? Perhaps, maybe a jewel?"  
  
"But she gave her that diamond necklace a few weeks ago." –Cody said. –"And besides, that's not the first time London gives Maddie a jewel as a present. By my calculations, Maddie must have at least 10 necklaces, 23 rings and 5 bracelets, all of them, expensive jewellery." –the twin stated.  
  
"Well, if that's true, then we have to come up with something else." –Mark said as he to out of the pool's edge, shaking his body, trying to get rid of the huge amount of water that his clothes had soaked. –"If you need me, I'll be in my room. I got to think about this very carefully, and try to come up with an alternative. Don't worry, London. By the time we're through with this, you'll have Maddie in your arms, kissing you, or my name isn't Mark Stevenson."  
  
That said, Mark grabbed his stuff and quickly exited the suit, leaving behind a trail of wet footprints. London could not help but giggle about it. As he headed to the elevator, Mark cursed the fact of not taking London's previous offer. If he had gone downstairs and buy a pair of swimming shorts, he would not need to change clothes right then. He stopped at the 23rd floor, and exited the elevator. His apartment was in the same floor as Cody and Zack's. As he walked down the corridor, he heard footsteps coming towards him. At first he did not care about it, but as he was about to turn the corner, he saw that it as Maddie. For some reason that not even he knew about, he decided to hide behind a plant that was near him. He waited for Maddie to pass right through where he was hiding. Hearing the footsteps, he just prayed that the blonde girl did not see or hear him out. Finally, she walked right through where he was hiding, not even imagining that he was hiding there. Wanting to know where she was going, he followed her closely, always on the look out, so he would not be spotted by her. In the end, he found out that she had entered suite 2330, Cody and Zack's apartment. As the door closed, he gently walked through the corridor, reaching the door, where he tried to discover what was going on, by leaning his ear against the door, in an attempt to listen to any kind of conversation. Unfortunately, he could not hear a thing, so he decided to head back to his suite; after all, he needed to change from his wet clothes into something a little drier. Still, as he walked through the corridors, his head started to fill with all sorts of theories as to why Maddie had entered the twins' apartment.  
  
As Mark opened his door, something was happening in Cody and Zack's suite. Zack and Carey decided to talk with Maddie, somewhere more private, also to spread any kind of news or whatsoever that would reveal Maddie's secret. Gathered around the table, they started to discuss several possibilities.   
  
"Okay, now we have to come up with a way to find out if London also loves you, Maddie." Carey said.  
  
"But what makes you think that she's even in love with you, sweet thang?" –Zack asked Maddie, using her nickname, which he had given her.   
  
"I don't know, Zack. I don't know if she loves me… but something in my heart tells me that I need to know." –Maddie answered him. –"I don't know if you can understand, Zack, but London is my everything, you know? She's the most beautiful person in the planet, both physically and psychologically, to me… I know that sometimes she's not the brightest person in the world, but she's smart in her own way. She manages to get on my nerves sometimes. I yell at her and she yells back at me, but that's why we're friends. All in all, she's my princess… and I love her for that." –Maddie cried a few tears  
  
"She really is in love with London… Now I know that I'll never stand a chance against her. What she feels for her, is really something powerful." –Zack thought to himself.  
  
"That was incredibly beautiful, sweetie." –Carey said, with a sweet smile on her face. –"And I do believe that London is also in love with you, Maddie. How could she not love a sweet and kind girl like you?" –Carey gently ran her fingers through Maddie's face, caressing her cheeks, making her smile.   
  
"Still, we have to find a way to know if she loves you for real… and I think I know how."   
  
"What are you thinking, Zack Martin?" –Carey looked at him with a very suspicious look, for she knew that when her son Zack had an idea, usually, those ideas would end up in disaster.  
  
"Chill out, mom. I know what I'm doing." –Zack said.  
  
"The last time that you told me to chill out, my bank account got frozen for nearly a week, little man." –Carey told him.  
  
"You make one little mistake, and after that, everyone blames you for it, for the rest of your life." –Zack said out loud. –"I was just going to suggest we borrow the radio transmitter that Arwin was inventing just last week. We could place it in London's room, and with some luck, we might hear something that interest us."  
  
"Why can't you be like that when it comes to Math, or Geography, or History, or Literature, or any other school subject?" –Carey asked him rhetorically.   
  
"You know, that might just be the best idea that you had so far." –Maddie declared. –"Of course, it would be wrong to do that to London, but… I'll go get it!!" –Maddie exclaimed as she got up from where she was and headed to the elevator in the corridor, followed by Zack.  
  
Seeing herself alone in the suite, Carey just sighed and said out loud:  
  
"I don't know who's crazier, Maddie or Zack… Either way, I just pray that this ends well, or else, it's going to rain hellfire in the hotel."         
  
Taking the elevator, the two of them quickly reached the lobby, which was packed with guests who had just arrived at the hotel. Moseby was trying to coordinate the small army of bellhops, but it was easier said than done, because they did not listen to what he was telling them. Maddie tried to ignore what was going on, and tried to keep up with Zack, who wanted to get to the basement as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, Maddie heard her name being yelled… it was Moseby.   
  
"Maddie, why aren't you at the candy counter?" –Moseby asked her.  
  
"I'm going!" –she answered back, as she whistled to Zack. –"Go on without me! We'll meet back at your suite when I'm done here."  
  
"Got it, sweet thang!" –Zack said, as he stormed through the crowd of people, heading to the basement.   
  
Zack knew every corner of that hotel like the palm of his hand, and the basement was not exception. He had spent do much time there with Arwin, that that place became like a second home to him. As he approached Arwin's office, he started to hear music. It was obvious that the hotel's engineer was there, probably concocting yet another of his crazy inventions, instead of trying to fix one of the hotel's leaks or exhausters. Zack really looked to hang with Arwin, because he was one of those persons who you could trust. Getting nearer the office, Zack quickly recognized the music that was playing on the radio… it was "All Around the World" from the ATC (also known as the A Touch of Class). There was only one thing that was bothering Zack; it was the fact that Arwin was singing it, and unfortunately, Arwin could not sing, even if his life and everyone else on the planet depended on him.   
  
_The kisses of the sun_  
 _Were sweet_  
 _I didn't blink_  
 _I let it in my eyes_  
 _Like an exotic dream_  
 _The radio playing songs_  
 _That I have never heard_  
 _I don't know what to say_  
 _Oh, not another word_  
  
 _Just la la la la la_  
 _It goes around the world_  
 _Just la la la la la_  
 _It's all around the world_  
 _Just la la la la la_  
 _And everybody singing_  
 _La la la la la_  
 _And our bells are ringing_  
 _La la la la la La la la_  
  
 _Inside an empty room_  
 _My inspiration flows_  
 _Now wait to hear the tune_  
 _Around my head it goes_  
 _The magic melody_  
 _You want to sing with me_  
 _Just la la la la la_  
 _The music is the key_   
  
As he swiftly entered in the office, Zack tried not to laugh of how bad Arwin's singing was.  
  
" _Mom really needs to give you a few lessons, Arwin. It sounds like someone is skinning a cat alive with a rusty old knife._ " –Zack thought to himself, as he muffled his ears, using his hands.   
  
_And now the night is gone Still it goes on and on_  
 _So deep inside of me_  
 _I long to set it free_  
 _I don't know what to do_  
 _Just can't explain to you_  
 _I don't know what to say_  
 _Oh, not another word_  
  
 _Just la la la la la_  
 _It goes around the world_  
 _Just la la la la la_  
 _It's all around the world_  
 _Just la la la la la_  
 _And everybody singing_  
 _La la la la la And our bells are ringing_  
 _La la la la la La la la_  
  
 _The kisses of the sun_  
  
 _Just la la la la la_  
 _It goes around the world_  
 _Just la la la la la_  
 _It's all around the world_  
 _Just la la la la la_  
 _And everybody singing_  
 _La la la la la And our bells are ringing_  
 _La la la la la La la la_  
  
 _Around, around, around the world_  
  
When the song ended, Arwin sighed, trying to catch his breath. Singing was one of his favourite hobbies, when not inventing some crazy contraption. He turned off the radio, when he heard footsteps coming from behind him. He quickly turned around to see Zack looking at him.   
  
"H-How long are you here, Zack?" –Arwin asked Zack, a little embarrassed.  
  
"Long enough to know that you are the greatest bowling player I've ever seen in my life… but that you're also the worst singer that I've ever heard in my life, Arwin." –Zack said, with an uneasy voice.  
  
"Am I that bad?" –Arwin asked him.   
  
"Sorry… I really don't want to say it, but, it's true." –Zack shrugged his shoulders a little, as he said that.  
  
"Good thing I never had the idea of participating in the "American Idol" show." –he said. –"So tell me, what can your old pal Arwin help you with?"   
  
"Do you remember that radio transmitter that you were building last week? Can I borrow it for a while?" –Zack asked Arwin.   
  
"Well, I don't know… You're not going to play a prank on anyone, now aren't you, Zack?" –Arwin asked him, a little suspicious about it.   
  
"No, it's for something really special, and really important." –Zack told him.   
  
"Come on, Zack, you can tell your old friend Arwin. Whatever it is, I might be able to help you." –Arwin said.  
  
"Sorry, Arwin, but I can't tell you anything this time." –Arwin insisted.  
  
"I'm really sorry… Arwin, but I promised my mom and Maddie that I wouldn't tell anyone that she's in love with London." –Zack let it out. He immediately cursed his big mouth. Carey was absolutely right; he really could not keep a secret, no matter the consequences.  
  
"WHAT?! Carey's in love with London?!" –Arwin exclaimed.  
  
"No!!! Maddie's in love with London, not my mom!" –Zack explained him, cursing his mouth again.   
  
"Wait, wait, wait, wait… You better explain me everything from the beginning, and you might as well tell me really everything, because you already told me half of it." –Arwin said, as he sat on his chair.  
  
In a couple of minutes, Zack explained everything to Arwin, who finally understood what was going on. He seemed very supportive of the idea of Maddie being in love with London.  
  
"So, she doesn't know if London loves her, and she wants to find out." –Arwin said.  
  
"Yeah, and we wanted to use your radio transmitter to see if we could find if she loves Maddie; I mean, at least until we can come up with something else." –Zack explained him.  
  
"Hmm… sure, okay, I'll let you borrow it." –Arwin said, as he went to the bookcase, where he had left it. He grabbed it and gave it to Zack.  
  
"Thanks, Arwin, you're a life saver, you know that?"  
  
"Oh, don't say that, Zack. We're friends, and we have stick for each others, right?"  
  
"Yeah… but now, you have to promise me, that you won't tell anyone about this, okay? If mom knows that I told you this, even if by accident, she'll cut my tongue and throw it out the window." –Zack begged him.  
  
"Don't worry, it's like we never spoke about it." –Arwin said. –"Now, go on, the sooner you get that thing in London's room, the faster you might know if she loves Maddie, or not, okay?"  
  
"I will, and thanks once again, Arwin!" –Zack said as he rushed out the door, leaving Arwin with his thoughts.  
  
"Maddie and London… hmm, now who would ever think that that might happen? Nobody, I guess. I sure hope that they get this all straighten up." –he said, as he started to whistle "All Around the World"


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey there! This is just a small message for you, who read this story. It took me a lot of thinking before making this decision… Which actor would portray Mark's dad, Stephen Stevenson? Well, I've decided that the only actor who could portray him would be Gary Sinise (you guys know him from his part as Mac Taylor from CSI: NY, or maybe Lt. Dan from Forrest Gump). So, try to imagine him as a novelist in this story. Anyway, on with the show!**

* * *

 

While Zack grabbed the transmitter and ran back to the suite, Maddie was having a hard time with the amount of customers that wanted to buy something from the candy counter. She tried to stay focused on what she was doing, but all she could think about that moment was London. In her mind, she pictured the Asian-brunette in her room, dressed in one of her silk pyjamas, probably reading a fashion magazine. She also imagined herself, entering in her suite, as London called her name; telling her to sit with her in the bed. As soon as she sat by her side, the beautiful heiress would look at her in the eyes, then slowly leaning in and capturing Maddie's lips in the sweetest of soft kisses. Maddie sighed as she thought about it, when a kid made her snap out of her day-dream, back into reality, by shouting at her.

"I want a candy bar!"

Maddie cursed her luck for the umpteenth time in her life. She needed to get out of there, and find out if the love of her life loved her or not.

A little earlier, Mark entered in his suite, when he heard music. He knew that if there was music that could only mean one thing; his father had decided to come home earlier, and was listening to his favourite songs. He looked around, trying to see if he could see him, when he appeared from beneath the kitchen counter. He was wearing a blue and white Hawaiian shirt, a pair of jeans and blue monkey-slippers.

_Out here in the fields_   
_I fight for my meals_   
_I get my back into my living._

  
"So, what's shaken, sport?" –Steven asked his son, as he grabbed a can.

_I don't need to fight_   
_To prove I'm right_   
_I don't need to be forgiven._   
_yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah_

"Troubles, as always, dad… and if you're going to ask me why I'm wet, let's just say that I jumped into a pool, and well, you can see the result." –Mark answered dryly.

_Don't cry_   
_Don't raise your eye_   
_It's only teenage wasteland_

"Well, tell me, does it have something to do with a girl?" –Steven asked him.

_Sally, take my hand_   
_We'll travel south cross land_   
_Put out the fire_   
_And don't look past my shoulder._

  
"Not in the way you're thinking… it has to do with a girl, but, it's complicated, and I have zero chances of having something with her." –Mark said. –"Just give me a minute to change clothes, and you can continue to question me, coronel…" –he said, making his father chuckle.

_The exodus is here_   
_The happy ones are near_   
_Let's get together_   
_Before we get much older._

  
"Okay, hotshot… Go on and change clothes. The last thing I want is for you to catch a cold." –Steve said, as Mark entered in his room, and closed the door behind him.

_Teenage wasteland_   
_It's only teenage wasteland._   
_Teenage wasteland_   
_Oh, yeah_   
_Its only teenage wasteland_   
_They're all wasted!_

A couple of minutes later, Mark came out of his room. He sensed the smell of something good coming from the kitchen.

"Roast beef, grilled potatoes and peanut butter and jelly muffins… Not to mention the fact that you were listening to The Who playing Baba O'Riley… You only do that when you're either out of ideas, or, right after you finished a new novel. And I bet it's the second one." –Mark said.

"Touché, hotshot. It took me forever to finish that one. My publisher was already thinking that I would not be able to finish this one on time. But, I finished it and I believe it's going to be my best work yet." –Steven stated.

"You sound just like Billy Ray Cyrus, every time he composes a new song for Miley."

"Which reminds me; we got to text him to confirm that we will be going to Miley's birthday party next month. But tell me; who's the girl that's messing with your head right now, Mark?"

"Like I said, dad, it's not what you're thinking. I admit that there's a girl in this, but I'm working as Cupid, nothing else… and if you're going to ask it, the girl is London." –Mark answered, as he grabbed one of the muffins.

"You mean, London, as in London Tipton?"

"The one and only." –he said, as he threw himself onto the couch.

"I see… well, and who's the guy that she's in love with, huh?"

"That's just it! It's not a guy… it's a girl. I promised her that I wouldn't tell anyone, but I know I can trust you, so there you have it, miss London Tipton came out of the closet, and she's in love with a girl."

"So?"

"So? So, the girl she's in love with is Maddie… you know, the girl from the candy counter who happens to be your biggest fan in this hotel, and we don't even know if by any chance she loves her too." –Mark said, as e took a bite from the muffin.

"I see. Well, you got yourself in a tight jam, Mark. As your father, I would tell you to stop with those shenanigans and focus on your own life, but as your friend, I would tell you that you should do anything in you power to help your friend." –Steven said. –"Besides you, who else knows about this?"

"Just Cody, one of the Martin twins. He's also helping London… and God, do I need a plan to help her. Come on, dad, give me a hand here. You're always writing about all kinds of romantic relationships, you probably know a way for me to get out of this jam…"

Steven looked at his son for a couple of seconds, and then asked him:

"Well, have you tried to "read" both girls, and see if you could find out their true feelings?"

"Been there, done that, dad. It was really easy with London, but Maddie… Maddie is really good, when it comes to hiding her feelings. I observed her for nearly two hours, and nothing."

"Okay, then, maybe you should adopt a more direct approach… steal her MP3 player."

"What? Steal it?" –Mark exclaimed, rather shocked by what he heard his father telling him.

"Not steal it, steal it… more like, borrowing it for a little bit. And you know why?" –Steve asked, to which Mark waved no with his head. –"Because, music can tell you a lot of thing about the person who hears it... What kind of person it is, what are their dreams, their hopes, and sometimes, it also can reveal a person's most intimate feelings."

"You know, it might just be the best idea that I heard so far. I got to go and tell those two about it. Thanks, dad… oh, and you better not wait for me, because I'll probably won't have dinner tonight. I got a lot of thinking to do. See ya!" –Mark said, a he grabbed another muffin and walked out the door.

In her suite, London paced quickly, wondering what to do. Cody had decided to go back to his room, letting her alone with her thoughts. She had her silk bathrobe around her body and paced from one side to the other. Her slippers made a strange yet funny squishing noise every time she stepped on the floor. She listened to them, trying to match her steps with her heart beat. Finally, she grew tired of that, and sat on a chair by the window. Looking outside, she looked at everyone that passed in the street below, sighing. Looking up she saw the advertising of a new perfume. The Ad had the image of a bottle shaped like a red heart. This made London sigh even louder than before. Still looking at it, she started to sing a song that came to her mind that moment.

_If I had to live without you near me_   
_The days would all be empty_   
_The nights would seem so long_   
_With you I see forever oh, so clearly_   
_I might have been in love before_   
_But it never felt this strong_

_Our dreams are young and we both know_   
_Theyll take us where we want to go_   
_Hold me now, touch me now_   
_I dont want to live without you._

_Nothings gonna change my love for you_   
_You oughta know by now how much I love you_   
_One thing you can be sure of_   
_Ill never ask for more than your love._

_Nothings gonna change my love for you_   
_You ought to know by now how much I love you_   
_The world may change my whole life through but nothings gonna change my_   
_love for you._

_If the road ahead is not so easy_   
_Our love will lead the way for us like a guiding star_   
_Ill be there for you if you should neeed me_   
_You dont have to change a thing_   
_I love you just the way you are._

_So come with me and share this view_   
_Ill help you see forever too_   
_Hold me now, touch me now_   
_I dont want to live without you._

  
_Nothings gonna change my love for you_   
_You oughta know by now how much I love you_   
_One thing you can be sure of_   
_Ill never ask for more than your love._

  
_Nothings gonna change my love for you_   
_You ought to know by now how much I love you_   
_The world may change my whole life through but nothings gonna change my_   
_love for you._

  
_Nothings gonna change my love for you_   
_You oughta know by now how much I love you_   
_One thing you can be sure of_   
_Ill never ask for more than your love._

  
_Nothings gonna change my love for you_   
_You ought to know by now how much I love you_   
_The world may change my whole life through but nothings gonna change my_   
_love for you._

  
_Nothings gonna change my love for you_   
_You oughta know by now how much I love you_   
_One thing you can be sure of_   
_Ill never ask for more than your love._

  
_Nothings gonna change my love for you_   
_You ought to know by now how much I love you_   
_The world may change my whole life through but nothings gonna change my_   
_love for you._

  
London did not know why she had started to sing that particular song. She thought that it was probably because that song made her think about Maddie, and everything that she loved about her. A small tear rolled down her face, as she remembered jus how beautiful and magical Maddie's smile was. Trying to think of something else, London went to her humongous wardrobe, so she could pick something beautiful to wear. Her wardrobe was so huge that a person needed a map just to get around it, without getting lost. Another thing about it was the fact that once inside it, you could shout as much as you want that nobody else would hear you, which was a good thing, because as soon London entered in it, her entrance door opened, gently letting out a click. Looking inside, Zack tried to see if there was anyone inside, before entering. Since he did not see a soul, he entered, closing the door behind him.

"Okay, now… there's got to be a good place for me to hide this thing… But, where?" –Zack looked around, looking for the ideal spot to hide the radio transmitter. After a couple of minutes, he found the ideal spot, beneath one of the suite's couches. Gently placing it, he turned it on. –"From all the things that I did for Maddie, this is probably the most dangerous one ever. If London finds me here…" –he said, as he made sure that no one was really there, fearing that he might be caught. –"Let's just hope that this works, or else, I'm doomed."

Carefully, Zack headed towards the door, when he accidently kicked something with his right foot. He looked down and saw that it was a MP3 player, probably London's. Not resisting he turned it on, and look at London's musical selection.

"Interesting… Madonna, Aqua, Chipz, Ashley Tisdale, Beyoncé, Ricki Martin, Beethoven, Marilyn Manson, Daft Punk, Backstreet Boys, Mozart… Man, London's musical taste sure is strange. She listens to 80's, 90's and 2000's music, but she also likes classic music. I never took her for a girl who enjoys hearing music that only old people and Cody like to hear." –Zack thought, as he looked at the musical list.

All of a sudden, he heard someone approaching from where he was, so he quickly dropped the MP3 player and ran as fast as he could to the door, fearing that it was London. He got out just in time, but if e had stayed behind, he would have seen that in fact, it was London's dog, Ivanna, who came out from the wardrobe.

At the same time Zack took the elevator back to the 23rd floor, Maddie was able to once again close the candy counter. As soon as Moseby entered in his office, she quickly sneaked into the stairs, heading to the first floor at full speed, almost tripping on a step. From there, she took the elevator back to the Martin suite. As she waited for the elevator, she remembered one of her favourite songs, and started to sing it.

_Hey_   
_if we can't solve any problems_   
_and why do we lose so many tears?_   
_Oh_   
_so you go again when the leading man appears._   
_Always the same theme_   
_can't you see_   
_We've got ev'rything going on and on and on._   
_Ev'ry time you go away you take a piece of me with you._   
_Ev'ry time you go away you take a piece of me with you._

_Go on and go free_   
_maybe you're too close to see._   
_I can feel your body move_   
_does it mean that much to me._   
_I can't go on singing the same theme_   
_'cause can't you see_   
_We've got ev'rything_   
_baby_   
_even though you know:_   
_Ev'ry time you go away you take a piece of me with you._   
_Ev'ry time you go away you take a piece of me with you._

_Can't go on singing the same theme_   
_'cause baby_   
_can't you see_   
_We've got ev'rything going on and on and on._   
_Ev'ry time you go away you take a piece of me with you._   
_Ev'ry time you go away you take a piece of me with you._   
_Ev'ry time you go away you take a piece of me with you._   
_Ev'ry time_   
_ev'ry time you go away - but I don't care -_   
_You take a piece of me with you. Ev'ry time you go away -_   
_Ev'ry time you go away - don't leave me all alone_

_And breakin' up a piece of me. Ey'ry time you go away._

Singing that song made her weep a little, because the lyrics made her think about London and just how much she loved her. Still, she quickly wiped the tears before the elevator doors opened. At the same time, Mark was trying to get into the employees locker room. He had to wait for someone to open the door for him. He cursed the fact that from all of his many talents, one of them was not being able to open locks with a lock pick. Finally, luck smiled to him. Millicent had just entered in the locker room to change into her uniform, so she could start her shift. A couple of minutes went by, and when she finally came out through the door, Mark made his move.

"Hey Millicent, how's it going?" –he asked her, as she was closing the door behind her.

"Hi there, Mark, more or less, what about you?" –Millicent answered him.

"Same old, same old... You're going to start our shift now?" –Mark asked her, showing her his biggest smile.

"Yeah, and if I don't hurry, Moseby will have my head on a silver plate… He's completely pissed with everyone today, and God knows when he will calm down. See ya later!" –she said, as she quickly headed to the lobby, waving him goodbye.

Unknown to her, he had managed to keep the door opened, by leaving it ajar, without letting Millicent close it completely. He looked around to see if someone was coming down the corridor, and after being sure that he would not be seen, he entered the room. It took him a couple of seconds to find the light switch, but when he finally turned on the lights, he knew that he had very little time to find what he was looking for. Finding Maddie's locker was easy to find, but now came the tricky part; he had to open the lock.

"Hmmm… it's one of these locks that you can personalize your own lock combination. Now, if I was Maddie, what would my combination be?" –Mark asked himself, as he thought about it. Lucky for him he had photographic memory. –"Maybe, her birthday…"

Remembering Maddie's birthday date, he tried it, but it did not work, so he thought about other dates that would be important to her. He knew that he had to find out the combination, in order to open the locker, and see what songs she had in her MP3 player, even if it took him the rest of the day, which he did not have.

"Okay… maybe her parents wedding date?" –he asked himself, as he tried that combination. –"No, not this one either… it's got be something that is special to her… but what exactly?"

That's when it hit him. What if the date was something that no one in their right mind would ever think of or remember?

"Let's suppose that Maddie chose a date that on one would ever think about… London's birthday date." –he said, as he tried it. As if it was magic, the lock opened itself, allowing him to open the locker. –"Now, what do you know?"

There he saw Maddie's clothes, which consisted on a pair of baby-blue jeans, a red sweater, and a pair of black and white tennis shoes. He also saw her school back pack, a Gucci's back pack; no doubt that it had been a present form London. He opened Maddie's back pack, looking for her MP3 player, when he finally saw it.

"Okay, Miss Madelyn Fitzpatrick, what kind of music are you listening right now, hmmm?" –He asked, pushing the buttons –"Interesting... Nelly Furtado, Danny Elfman, Michael Jackson, Brenda Song, Rossini, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, Backstreet Boys, Queen, Verdi, Miley Cyrus... most of the songs are love songs. Well, at least this gives me something to go on with my investigation... Hey, what is this?" –he said as he grabbed a violet book with golden letter on its cover. –"It's Maddie's diary, what luck! I know I shouldn't do this, but I promised London that I would try and find everything I could about Maddie... and besides, what Maddie doesn't know, won't hurt her." –Mark said, as opened it.


	10. Secrets Revealed

Mark gently opened Maddie's diary, and started to read its content. Deep inside, he knew that he should not do that, because he was invading Maddie's personal life. Normally, he would not do that, especially to a friend as dear as Maddie was to him, but, he was helping another friend, and he desperately needed answers. As he turned over the pages, he noticed the little details in Maddie's handwriting, and the way she decorated the pages, with stamps and other stuff. He also noticed that every time she fell in love with someone, she wrote about that fact, and then draw little red hearts in the pages, and then a bigger heart with her initials and the other person in it.  
  
 _"Dear Diary, I fell in love with the most perfect guy that I have ever seen. He's cute, and athletic, and he has the most handsome smile in the world… Lance… what a hunk! I saw him standing right next to pool, like always. Like me, he takes his job seriously, which makes me love him even more! We got so much in common, and the best part is that London's not interested in him; but then again, why would she be interested in him? She only has eyes to guys who are cute, handsome and that have enough credit cards to buy half of Boston in one afternoon… Anyway, I need to ask him if he'll go out with me, tomorrow… I hope he says yes._ " –Mark read, imagining Maddie reading that out loud. –"I remember Maddie telling me about this. She asked London for advice on how she should approach him, because she was too embarrassed to ask him out. Let's see if there's something more about it... I shouldn't be enjoying this, but who cares, Maddie will never know, and even if she finds out, I'll tell her that it was for a good cause. Aha! Here's something else…" –he said, as he began reading. –" _Dear Diary, I'm so mad at London! How could she start the rumour that I was going to marry Lance, going to live with him in a vineyard, and that both of us would get jobs as casino employees in Las Vegas? I so hate her! Sometimes I wonder if she does that on purpose just to amuse herself behind my back!_ "  
  
Turning over the pages, he noticed that Maddie had been in love more times than he had imagined. He read about the time she had been in Antarctica, trying to save the penguins from all kinds of dangers.  
  
" _Dear Diary, I am loving my stay here in Antarctica. This is without a doubt the most beautiful place in the world, and I was incredibly lucky to be selected to come on this assignment. Even though it's always snowing, chilly, and I'm always chattering my teeth every time I go outside, I know that when I come back, I have a nice cup of hot chocolate waiting for me. Everyone in the camp is very nice, and I have made a couple of friends already… we like to go skiing or doing snowball fights when we do not have anything else to do. I noticed that my hair is getting a little lighter, probably because of the cold; still, I like it; everyone tells me that I'm resembling more and more with Ashley Tisdale, even though I think they are exaggerating a bit. The penguins are really majestic creatures and I've been lucky to be able to take so many pictures of them, especially the baby penguins who are so cute. Still, I miss everyone back in Boston… my family, my friends at the Tipton, everyone. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, I wake up, after dreaming that I'm back in Boston, behind the candy-counter talking with either Cody or Zack, or London… I miss them a lot, and I can't wait to see them again._ " –Mark read.  
  
Finally, he found something that he considered to be a vital clue to his investigation, per se.  
  
"What's this? Well, well, I think I struck gold…" –Mark whispered to himself, as he thoughtfully read what was written on those pages. –" _Dear Diary, something strange happened to me last night, when I decided to tutor London. It looked like it was going to be just another night, where I would spend my time tutoring London, and helping her get a decent grade; but in the end, it was so much more than that. I found out things that I did not know about my best friend, and more, about myself too. As we kept talking about almost everything, it felt as if we were talking and getting to know each other for the very first time. Until that night, I always considered London to be a air-head bimbo, who did not mind about what people said about her… but now, I see her with other eyes, and admit that she's more than meets the eye. I don't know exactly why, but now I know that I'm incredibly lucky to have London as my best friend in the whole world, and I would not trade that for anything in the world._ " –he read. –"Sounds to me that Maddie changed her opinion about someone…"  
  
Next, a huge smirk appeared in his face, because he felt like he had just won the 50 million dollar jackpot at the casino. On the next page, written a couple of weeks later, Maddie had drawn huge red hearts all over the place, bigger than she usually did. But the thing that made him do that smirk was the fact that there was a huge red heart with the initials M.F., for Maddie Fitzpatrick and L.T. for London Tipton, inside it!  
  
" _Dear Diary, I think I'm going haywire! My heart is pounding like a drum in my chest. It almost feels like that I have an Alien Xenomorph inside my chest, which is about to burst out of it… And why is that? Because I think that I fell in love with London! I don't know how this happened; how on Earth have I fell in love with my best friend? I only know that every time I see her, or think about her, my heart pounds harder and a weird, yet good feeling spreads all over my body and I love when that happens. I wish I had the courage to tell London the truth and maybe find out if she also loves me… But that will never happen…" –_ Mark noticed that there were a few smudges caused by tears. Maddie was most likely crying when she wrote that. –"Well, this proves it; Maddie is definitely also in love with London… Got to say it, they make a lovely pair. This piece of information is better then Halloween, Christmas, Thanksgiving, St. Patrick's Day and the 4th July happening all at the same time! Now, all I need to do is to tell London about this… or, I could come up with a surprise for her and Maddie. It should be easy, with Cody's help."  
  
Putting the diary back on the backpack, and putting it back inside her locker, he closed it, locking it. Now, he had to get out of there. Gently, opening the exit door, he looked outside into the corridor, trying to see if someone was passing by. After a couple of seconds, he quickly exited the room, closing the door behind him. He thought nobody had seen him, but he was wrong. As he was about to turn around the corner, he heard someone.  
  
"And what was it that you think you were doing in there?"  
  
Mark's brain immediately went into shock. He thought it was Moseby who was behind him. It sure sounded like him. What was he going to answer him? He could not simply tell him that he had entered in the employees' locker room, so he could find out if Maddie was in love with London, his boss's daughter. Slowly, he turned around, only to find out that the person who had called him was not Moseby, but Esteban, one of the hotel's bellhops, and Moseby's protégée,  
  
"E-Esteban? I-I thought that it was Moseby, who was talking…" –Mark said.  
  
"Oh, you see, when Mr. Moseby got sick last time, and he couldn't talk, I was his voice, if you know what I mean. I started to practice to sound like him." –Esteban explained him. –"But, what were you doing in the employees locker?"  
  
"I… I… I can't tell you, Esteban."  
  
"Well, you better come up with a an answer, because if you don't tell me what were you doing in there, I'll have to report it to Mr. Moseby."  
  
"Oh, for crying out loud, Esteban! You're always covering for the pranks and mischief that the Martin twins do in this hotel. Can't you cover up for me too, just this once?" –Mark asked him.  
  
"Sorry, but Zack and Cody are kids and my friends, and even though Mr. Moseby is always telling me to report him everything they do, I cover up for them, because deep down there, they don't want to get into trouble."  
  
"Look, this is really secret and I can't tell you, because I promised I wouldn't. Do you understand me? I made a promise and I can't break it." –Mark declared.  
  
"I understand you, but still, I have a job to do." –Esteban said.  
  
Mark thought for a couple of seconds about that situation. He knew he could not tell Esteban what was going on, but if he did not do it, Esteban would tell Moseby, and then he would be force to tell everything. Swallowing hard, he took a deep breath and said:  
  
"Okay, I'll tell you what's going on, but you can't tell anyone what you're about to hear, especially Moseby, do you understand me?"  
  
"Yes, I think so." –Esteban answered him.  
  
"Swear on the life of your mother, and on the life of your future children."  
  
"I swear on the life of mi mami, and on the life of my future children, that I won't tell anyone whatever you're going to tell me. And if I do, may the Holy Virgin of Sierra Malograda send the wolves to eat me during my sleep." –Esteban swore.  
  
"Whatever… Look, what I'm about to tell you, is extremely delicate…"  
  
Mark took his time to explain Esteban what was going on. At first, he did not want to believe what he was hearing. But, after the facts that Mark presented him, he accepted that as the truth. Still, it was still hard for him to accept what he had heard from the teenager's mouth.  
  
"So, you're saying that Miss London's in love with Maddie? Madre de Dios…" –Esteban said.  
  
"Not only that, Esteban. Maddie's also in love with London, but none of them has the courage to tell the other about their true feelings." –Mark said in a hushed voice. –"I know what I'm saying, I read Maddie's diary, she wrote that she's in love with her."  
  
"If Mr. Moseby finds out about this, he'll…"  
  
"He won't and he mustn't! At least, not until both Maddie and London declare their love to each other… And if you tell Moseby, or anyone else…" –Mark threatened Esteban.  
  
"I know, I know… the Holy Virgin of Sierra Malograda will send the wolves to eat me, I know, Mark." –Esteban said, trying to calm him down.  
  
"Good. Now get back to your work, while I go and see what I can do about this, and remember, not a word about this to anyone, especially Moseby!"  
  
That said, Mark quickly disappeared, leaving Esteban all alone in that corridor, talking to himself. Trying to get his mind out of that matter, he went back to the lobby. A couple of minutes went by, he saw Carey heading to the ball room, and Moseby walking from one side to the other, giving orders to everyone. He was leaning against the reception desk, when he heard something crashing. Not knowing what was going on, he quickly went to see what was wrong. It had been Arwin, who was changing the lamps, and had fallen from the stepladder. He was alight, but he had broken his glasses, yet again.  
  
"Are you alright?" –Esteban asked him, as he helped him getting up on his feet.  
  
"Ouch… I'll be fine; nothing that a plate of French Fries with mayonnaise won't cure." –Arwin said.  
  
"Too bad your glasses can't say the same thing, you know?" –Esteban said, as he picked up the pair of glasses, which was broken.  
  
"Oh, nothing that a little duck tape won't solve, I can tell you that." –Arwin said, as he took a roll of duck tape form one of his pockets, and quickly wrapped it around the rim of the glasses. –"There, good as new, wouldn't you agree?"  
  
"Oh, yes, indeed." –Esteban said. –"You seem to have a solution for every problem, Arwin."  
  
"Well, I do my best to come up with a solution, even if it's not the best or the most obvious." –Arwin declared –"Still, I wished I could also come up wit a solution for every love problem… like the crush that I have for Carey."  
  
"Yeah, or coming up with a solution for Miss London to be able to tell Maddie that she loves her… oops!" –Esteban said, without wanting to.  
  
"W-What did you say? London's in love with Maddie? Did I hear that right?" –Arwin said.  
  
"Heard what, Arwin?" –a voice said. Arwin turned around, to see that it had been Carey who had talked.  
  
"Huh… nothing, nothing at all. Believe me when I tell you, that it certainly doesn't have anything to do with the fact of Maddie being in love with London, or London being in love with Maddie… Drat, me and my big mouth!"  
  
"Did you just say that London is in love with Maddie?" –Carey asked him.  
  
"Oh, the wolves are going to eat me…" –Esteban said, remembering about the promise that he had made to Mark; a promise which he failed to keep, all because of his big mouth.  
  
"But that's great! Arwin, you just gave me the greatest news in all day! Wait until Maddie knows about this!" –Carey exclaimed, as she got ready to go back to her suite, when she stopped, and looked back to Arwin and Esteban, this time with a very serious look in her eyes. –"How do you two know about this story?"  
  
In a couple of minutes, Arwin told her that he knew that Maddie was in love with London, because Zack told him. And then, Esteban told Carey that Mark found out that London was in love with Maddie, and that she was also in love with her, and that he had told him about half an hour before.  
  
"So, everyone in this hotel, meaning me, you two, my boys and Stephen Stevenson's son know that those two love each other, but they themselves, don't even have the slightest clue that the other is head over heels with the other? How predictable… Well, I guess that the best thing to do now is to just gather around and see in which foot things are, don't you agree?" –Carey asked them, to which they waved with their heads. –"By the way, does Moseby know about this?"  
  
"No. He doesn't even suspect a thing, and according to Mark, he mustn't know about it, until the moment is right." –Esteban said. –"He said that Miss London and Maddie need to profess their love for each other first, just in case he reacts badly to the news."  
  
"I usually don't agree with those things, but this time I have to agree that that is the best thing to do. You two, follow me." –Carey said.  
  
Upstairs in the Marin suite, Maddie was talking with Zack, who was wondering where Cody had gone.  
  
"Well, do you have the radio transmitter set?" –Maddie asked Zack.  
  
"Sure I have, what do you think I am; a numbskull who forgets how to do these things?" –Zack asked her.  
  
"Is that a trick question?" –Maddie asked him, with a naughty smile in her lips.  
  
"Very, very funny…" –Zack answered Maddie, sarcastically. –"And please, don't smile like that, you're creeping me out."  
  
Suddenly, Maddie's cell rang. She immediately picked it up, only to see that it was her mom. She told Maddie that she had to come home that instant, because they had decided to make a little surprise to Maddie's grandmother.  
  
"Mom, I'm really busy right now… I know that this means a lot to you, but I'm in the middle of something right now… okay, you win, I'm coming, but I still have to come back and finish my shift today. Right, love you too." –Maddie hanged out, as she sighed heavily. –"Man, I hate my life!"  
  
"What's the matter?" –Zack said, as he turned on the TV.  
  
"It's my mom. She decided to do a little surprise party for my grandma, and I need to go home. I don't know why she does that; she knows that grandma hates surprises, especially if they're fixed by her." –Maddie said.  
  
"But… you're still coming back to the hotel tonight, aren't you?" –Zack asked her.  
  
"Of course, I'm coming back. As soon as I can get out of that stupid surprise party, I'll come running at full speed." –Maddie said, as she quickly exited the suite.  
  
Zack stayed alone for a couple of minutes, when his twin brother Cody came in. Zack noticed that Cody was chewing bubblegum, and he knew that he only did that when he was upset or worried about something. And by the size of the bubblegum, it was something big for sure.  
  
"So, what's going on, bro?" –Zack said as he turned off the TV.  
  
"Nothing much." –Cody answered him.  
  
"Don't lie to me, I know you, and I know when you're worried or upset with something. And right now, I can see that you're worried or upset." –Zack told him.  
  
"No, I'm not. What makes you say that?" –Cody asked him.  
  
"You only chew bubblegum when you're worried about something, Cody. That said, I know you're worried."  
  
"No, I'm not!" –Cody exclaimed.  
  
"Yes, you are!" –Zack exclaimed.  
  
"No, I'm not!" –Cody exclaimed.  
  
"Yes, you are!" –Zack exclaimed.  
  
"No, I'm not!" –Cody exclaimed.  
  
"Yes, you are!" –Zack exclaimed.  
  
"No, I'm not!" –Cody exclaimed.  
  
"Yes, you are!" –Zack exclaimed.  
  
"No, I'm not!" –Cody exclaimed.  
  
"Yes, you are!" –Zack exclaimed.  
  
"OKAY! Okay, I admit it, I'm worried about something, but I can't tell you what it is."  
  
"Come on, Cody, I'm your brother, who also happens to be your twin brother. You can tell me whatever it is that it's bugging you, man. Maybe I can help." –Zack said.  
  
"I don't think you can, Zack. Not this time, at least." –Cody said.  
  
"Look, I also have a secret. Why don't you tell me yours, and I'll tell you mine, okay?"  
  
"Well… You usually aren't able to keep a secret, and if you're going to tell me your secret, that means that I'm once again right about you… but, I guess if you're willing to tell me yours, I guess I can tell you mine, too. But who says it first?"  
  
"Hmmm… How about we say it at the same time?" –Zack asked Cody, to which he nodded with his head. –"Okay, then, on 3… 1… 2… 3!"  
  
"I found out that London is in love with Maddie!" –Cody exclaimed.  
  
"I found out that Maddie is in love with London!" –Zack exclaimed.  
  
"What?" –the both said in chorus.  
  
In just a few minutes, both twins told each other their version of the facts as they knew them so far. It became clear to them, that they had been keeping a similar secret each of them. They had both broken their promises about not telling anyone, but at least now, they knew that a happy ending for both parts was already on its way.  
  
"So, Mark found out that London's in love with London, and you and him were trying to find out if Maddie also loved her, is that it?" –Zack asked Cody.  
  
"Yeah, pretty much. And Maddie told you and Mom that she's in love with London, and you two were trying to come up with a way to find out if she was also in love with her? Man, next time we need to share information about our secrets… who knows, we might even help each other, like now." –Cody said.  
  
"Yeah, maybe… Wait a minute! Do you know what this means?" –Zack asked Cody, while grabbing him through the shoulders, shaking him like if he was a fruit tree. –"We got to tell Mom and Mark about this!"  
  
"Tell me what, boys?" –Carey asked as she entered in the suite, followed by Arwin and Esteban.  
  
Telling their mom what just happened, Carey told them that they were a couple of minutes later, because Arwin and Esteban had already told her everything.  
  
"I always wanted to say this…" –Carey said. –"Phase 1 is completed; now, on to phase 2, everyone."  
  
"But what is phase 2? I did not even know that we were following a plan." –Arwin said, without understanding anything.  
  
"It's a figure of speech, Arwin. I meant that now that we know that both London and Maddie are in love with each other, we can come up with a way for them to tell each other their true feelings… But first, we're going to need Mark's help." –Carey declared, when someone knocked on the door.  
  
Esteban answered the door, only to find Mark standing right outside.  
  
"What? What is it? What did I miss?" –he asked, as everyone in the room looked at him.


	11. Can You Feel the Love Tonight?

Few minutes after his arrival, Mark was informed that everyone in that living room knew about London and Maddie. Now, they had to come up with a way to make them tell what they fell for each other.  
  
"Are you sure that it has to be tonight? Can't we stop and think about this for a minute?" –Arwin asked them. –"I mean, don't you think that we are rushing things just a little bit?"  
  
"No, I don't know about Maddie, but London's getting more and more desperate each minute it passes. I fear that she might try something drastic, if we don't act now." –Mark said.  
  
"Maddie's also desperate to know the truth. You should have seen her talking about how painful it was for her not to know if London shared the same feelings for her, as she does for London." –Zack declared. –"We need to come up with a way for those two to meet face to face and tell the truth to one another."  
  
"But, how?" –Cody asked.  
  
"I thought that from the two o us, you were the smart one, genius…" –Zack commented sarcastically.  
  
"And I am, but do you think it's easy to come up with a way to solve a problem like this one? If so, why don't you do it?"-Cody answered him.  
  
"Now, kids, don't start a fight now, or you'll be grounded for a whole month, you hear me?" –Carey threatened, trying to calm both her sons.  
  
"Yes, mom…" –they both sighed in chorus.  
  
"Oh, this is terrible…" –Esteban said, as he paced from one side to the other, nervous about what was going on.  
  
"Come on, everyone, we need a plan, and we have to worry, because I've got to get ready for my show tonight." –Carey said, as she looked into the clock on the wall.  
  
"Wait, that's it! I got it! I'm a bloody genius!" –Mark exclaimed.  
  
"What, what is it?" –Cody asked him.  
  
"I think I found the perfect way to join those two… Get closer and I'll explain it all to you, okay?" –Mark told them, as he took a seat.  
  
While everyone followed Mark's plan, at Maddie's house, she was desperate to get out of there. Just like she had expected, her grandmother mocked every attempt of her mother to try and surprise her. That, and the fact that her sister Genevieve was complaining about everything in her life, made Maddie wish that she had just ignored her mother and stayed at the hotel. Trying not to listen every insult that her grandmother was calling her mother, Maddie went outside, in order to get some fresh air. She could not stop thinking about London. The Sun was about to set in the horizon, and she sighed, because she felt like if she had wasted it, coming up with some crazy plan to know if she loved her, when she should have just went up to her penthouse and confront her. Suddenly, her pet dog Scampy showed up right next to her. Maddie gently petted him behind the ears. She instantly remembered about the time he and Ivanna hided in the hotel, because London wanted Ivanna to marry a dog of her breed, instead of Scampy. That's when she heard someone approaching her from behind. It was her father, Irving Fitzpatrick. Besides being her father, Irving was also her confident and one of the few people that Maddie knew she could tell everything, that he would not judge her.  
  
"Mom's done it again…" –Maddie said, as Irving approached her.  
  
"Yeah, you can say that, Maddie. It seems your mother will never do anything that pleases your grandmother." –Irving chuckled. –"But, let's talk about something else, baby girl. You probably would rather be back at the hotel with your friends, then being stuck here listening to your mother and your grandmother fighting each other, not to mention your sister complaining about everything, am I right?"  
  
Maddie did not know what to answer. Every time her father called her by the nickname he had given her when she was little, it was hard for her to tell him the truth, because she did not want to hurt his feelings, or anything of the kind. She thought about it for a couple of seconds, which felt to her like hours.  
  
"Well… maybe a little." –she answered.  
  
"I don't blame you, sweetie. If I was you, I would get out of here, right now, and would only come back when things get a little calmer… which will be in a couple of days." –Irving told her, as he ran his fingers through Maddie's cheeks.  
  
"You're really sure about that, dad? Are you sure I can go?" –Maddie asked him, while looking him in the eyes.  
  
"Absolutely. You're mother will be so busy being furious with your grandmother, that she won't even notice that you are gone. And as always, you know that you can stay there as long as you want to. I'll call you when things get calmer."  
  
"Thanks, dad, you're the best!" –she said, as she gave him a hug.  
  
"Well, I try my best to be the best, baby girl." –Irving declared. –"By the way, tell you friends that I said hi, especially to your friend London, okay?"  
  
When he said London's name, Maddie's heart almost stopped. That whole racket helped her not to think about London, but when she heard her name, everything came back to her head in a flash.  
  
"I-I w-will, dad, don't worry." –she answered him, as went back inside, to her room. She quickly changed clothes. She decided that that night, she was going to wear something nice. So, she put on her favourite pink turtle-neck sweater, her blue jeans, and pink and white sneakers. Deciding that she needed another hairstyle, which matched her spirits that night, she fixed her hair into two simple, yet beautiful pigtails. After looking at herself on the mirror, and seeing that she was ready to go, she grabbed her things and started to run back to the Tipton, where she hoped that Carey and Zack would have news for her, good ones that is.  
  
At the same time, everyone did their best to make everything work, according to Mark's plan. Still, it was hard to keep everything from Moseby, but especially, from London, who kept calling Mark and Cody to her penthouse. Every time they went to talk with her, they had to lie to her, so she would not find out about what they were concocting in secret, for her and for Maddie that night.  
  
"Are you sure, guys? Are you sure there's nothing that tells us that she by any chance loves me?" –London asked them, almost begging them.  
  
"Sorry, London, but until now, there's nothing." –Cody told her.  
  
"But don't worry, we'll come up with a way to solve this problem, you just have to be a little patient, that's all." –Mark declared.  
  
"How can I be patient, guys? All I can think about right now is Maddie and the sweet scent of her blond hair… not to mention those delicious lips of hers, or that beautiful and super sexy body of hers…" –London said, as she daydreamed about Maddie.  
  
"O-kay, I think we don't need to know about that, you know?" –Cody said.  
  
"Still, you guys would tell me something, if you had found out about it, even if that something was something really bad, right?" –London asked, fearing that they were not being totally honest with her.  
  
"Don't be silly! Of course, we would tell you, London." –Mark told her. –"Now, try and get some rest. If we don't find out anything today, then, there's always tomorrow. What's important is that you can't give up hope, okay?"  
  
"Oh… A-Alright, if you say so." –London sighed.  
  
"Why don't you go downstairs and see my mom's show, tonight? She's been rehearsing a couple of new songs, and it would do you some good to go out and have some fun. Staying here, waiting for news isn't good for you. It'll only make you feel worst." -Cody told her.  
  
"You think so?" –London asked him, which Cody nodded. –"Okay, if you guys think that that will make me take my mind off Maddie, I'll go. Just need to get changed into something a little more comfy."  
  
That said both boys exited the penthouse, convinced that everything was going according to plan.  
  
"Do you think she doesn't have a clue of what we're up to?" –Cody asked Mark. –"I mean, London's pretty, but most of the times she's not the smartest person in the world."  
  
"Don't say that, Cody. London's smarter than people give her credit for. I think that she only acts the way she does, because it's easier for her to get along with everyone. Still, I don't think she even dares to think what we're up to." –Mark told Cody. –"But if everything goes according to my plan, tonight, those two will be in each other's arms, kissing and telling how much they love each other." –he said, with a confidence smile on his face.  
  
At the same time, Maddie arrived at the hotel. As she entered through the door, Moseby, who was standing right next to the reception desk, went to talk with her.  
  
"Madeline, you better have a good excuse for disappearing out of your post like you did." –Moseby told her, and boy, was he annoyed.  
  
"Sorry, Mr. Moseby, but I had to go home. It was an emergency." –she lied to him. She really had to go home, but not in a million years what happened would be considered an emergency.  
  
"That's okay; Millicent took over the candy-counter for you. Next time, just warn me before you leave, okay?" –Moseby told her, already with a calmer voice. –"By the way, what are you doing here now? Don't tell me that you're here to tutor London, again?"  
  
"Oh, no, not tonight, Mr. Moseby. I'm here to talk with Zack. Have you seen him?"  
  
"Well, I did saw him over the ball room a couple of minutes ago. Maybe, he's still there."  
  
"Thanks!" –Maddie said, as she rushed to the ball room.  
  
"I wonder…" –Moseby thought to himself, as Maddie headed to the ball room.  
  
Maddie quickly headed to ball room, and just like Moseby had told her, Zack was standing right next to the door. He noticed her coming his way, and he waved at her.  
  
"So, sweet thang, how did it go?" –Zack asked her.  
  
"Horrible. My mom and my grandmother kept on insulting each other, my sister kept on telling everyone just how bad her life was, and I managed to get out of there, because my dad felt that the vibes that were being felt in the house were quite negative, and that I should just get out of there until things calm down a little." –Maddie told him. –"What about you, any news?"  
  
"Nothing so far…" –Zack told her. When she heard that, she sighed deeply, losing a bit of the hope that she still had inside her. –"… but don't give up, Maddie. You'll see that things will work out just fine. If London loves you, we'll find out."  
  
"You're right, Zack!" –Maddie said with a little more determined voice.  
  
"Excuse me, but I'm looking for a Madeline Fitzpatrick…" –a voice called behind them.  
  
They both turned around and saw a mid 40's gentleman wearing a white shirt over a black jacket, a pair of black trousers and black shoes. His face was familiar to Maddie, although she did not know from where exactly.  
  
"I'm… I'm Madeline Fitzpatrick, but you can call me Maddie." –she said.  
  
"Please to meet you, Maddie. My son has told me that you are quite a big fan of my books." –he said.  
  
"I am? Wait a minute! You're…"  
  
"Stephen Stevenson, at you disposal, Maddie." –he said.  
  
"Oh my… Yes, yes I am. It's an honour to meet you, Mr. Stevenson." –Maddie said.  
  
"The honour is all mine. It's always nice to meet someone who enjoys reading my works. Mark has told me that you loved all of my works so far, and that you enjoy discussing them. I was wondering, since Mark hasn't showed up to have dinner with me, if you would give me the honour of having dinner with me?"  
  
"Well… I don't know. What if Mark shows up and he finds you having dinner with me? Won't he be upset?" –Maddie asked, even though she was really hungry, on account that she did not eat anything back at the party in her house.  
  
"I don't think so. Besides, I'm sure that he would not mind that you had dinner with me. So, what do you say?"  
  
"Hmm… well, since you put it that way, I would be delighted to accept your invitation." –Maddie said. –"And of course, that will also give me a reason to clear my thoughts, and not think about London." –she thought to herself.  
  
Maddie and Stephen went inside the ball room, and sat on a table on the right side of the room. As soon as his father went inside with Maddie, Mark appeared, after being signalled by Zack.  
  
"All set, Mark." –Zack said. –"Got to handle it to you, man. Bringing your father into our scheme was really sweet."  
  
"I know. Even though he's a writer, he always wanted to be an actor." –Mark said. –"Now, it's up to us to put this show on the road. I just hope London doesn't take too long to come down."  
  
A couple of minutes later, London appeared in the ball room. She was dressed in a hooded silver strapless mini-dress, as well as a black halter top, underneath her mini-dress, and black matching stilettos. Around her neck she had a silver necklace with a small diamond pendant on it. Not noticing that Maddie was on the room, she took a seat on a table on the opposite side of the room. She ordered a glass of water, and waited for the show to start. Most of the times, she did not like to watch Carey's show. It was not that she did not like to hear her, but Carey usually sang songs which she was not fond of. But that night, she did not care. Her mind was set on only one thing… Maddie. She needed to distract herself from everything. And unknown to her, the girl she was in love with, was on the opposite side of the room, having a great time, even though her mind kept thinking about the heiress of the Tipton.  
  
"So, you're saying that in order to create the protagonist of the Russian Caviar, which was based on Tia Carrere, you had to beat her in the decathlon, so you could interview her?" –Maddie asked.  
  
"Exactly, and it wasn't easy. She is obsessed with sports, and I admit it, during the 5 days that the competition took place; I thought I was going to die of exhaustion." –Stephen answered.  
  
The conversation went on, when finally Carey got up on the stage and started to sing. She was wearing an amazingly gorgeous emerald green dress, which was in an old 1920's style, and she was wearing matching stilettos. All in all, she was dazzling as always.  
  
 _I got my mind set on you_  
 _I got my mind set on you_  
 _I got my mind set on you_  
 _I got my mind set on you_  
  
 _But it's gonna take money_  
 _A whole lotta spending money_  
 _Its gonne take plenty of money_  
 _To do it right child_  
  
"She really is a wonderful singer." –Stephen said.  
  
"Yeah, Carey is a wonderful singer, and a great mom. Zack and Cody are really lucky to have her as their mom. Even though she doesn't agree with some things they do, she tries her best to let them do everything they want to, you know?" –Maddie told him.  
Its gonna take time  
  
 _A whole lot of precious time_  
 _Its gonna take patience and time, ummm_  
 _To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it,_  
 _To do it right child_  
  
 _I got my mind set on you_  
 _I got my mind set on you_  
 _I got my mind set on you_  
 _I got my mind set on you_  
  
"You know that I… oh, never mind." –Maddie said.  
  
"What?" –Stephen asked her.  
  
"No, it's nothing." –Maddie said.  
  
"Come on, don't be afraid of asking me anything, Maddie." –Stephen insisted.  
And this time I know it's for real  
  
 _The feelings that I feel_  
 _I know if I put my mind to it_  
 _I know that I really can do it_  
 _I got my mind set on you_  
  
 _Set on you_  
 _I got my mind set on you_  
 _Set on you_  
  
"Well, okay… I was wondering, why haven't you married after your wife's death? I mean, you don't have to tell me anything, if you don't want to…" –Maddie stated.  
  
"Truth is my wife was the only woman in my life, with the exception of my sweet mother, of course. She was the most kind, beautiful and probably, gentle woman that I have ever known, you know? I think it would not be fair, especially to Mark, if I married again. And furthermore, even if she is not among us anymore, I can still feel her presence, every time that the wind blows." –Stephen declared.  
  
 _But it's gonna take money_  
 _A whole lotta spending money_  
 _Its gonna take plenty of money_  
 _To do it right child_  
  
 _Its gonna take time_  
 _A whole lot of precious time_  
 _Its gonna take patience and time, ummm_  
 _To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it,_  
  
 _To do it right child_  
 _I got my mind set on you_  
 _I got my mind set on you_  
 _I got my mind set on you_  
 _I got my mind set on you_  
  
"That's so romantic." –Maddie said.  
  
"Here's my advice to you. If you ever find the right person for you, and I'm sure you will, sooner or later, make sure that that person knows just how much in love you are with her, every single day of your lives." –Stephen said.  
  
 _And this time I know it's for real_  
  
 _The feelings that I feel_  
 _I know if I put my mind to it_  
 _I know that I really can do it_  
 _But it's gonna take money_  
  
 _A whole lotta spending money_  
 _Its gonna take plenty of money_  
 _To do it right child_  
 _Its gonna take time_  
  
 _A whole lot of precious time_  
 _Its gonna take patience and time, ummm_  
 _To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it,_  
 _To do it right_  
  
 _Set on you_  
 _Set on you_  
  
That last statement made Maddie think about her own situation. She was in love with her best friend, yet, she was afraid of what would happen if she did not nurture the same kind of feelings for her, as Maddie did. That's when she decided that she was going to tell London about her true feelings for her, first thing in the morning, or even earlier, if she happened to bump on to her.  
  
"I'll do it! I'll tell London just how much I love her, or my name isn't Madeline Margaret Genevieve Miranda Catherine Fitzpatrick!" –she thought to herself.  
  
At the same time, on the other side of the ball room, London was thinking about the same thing. As Carey's songs filled the room, the heiress also decided that she was tired of not knowing if Maddie had any feelings for her, and that she would tell her everything.  
  
"I'll tell Maddie, everything. It's going to be hard, and a little part of me wants to run away from it… okay, a very big part of me wants to run away, and not do what it needs to be done. Still, I'll do it, because the love that I nurture for Maddie is stronger than my fear… I hope." –London thought to herself.  
  
A couple of minutes later, someone approached the table where London was, and quickly handed her a piece of paper, with something written on it, before getting out of there really fast. The room was not completely dark, but the Asian girl was not able to see who it was. The person who had given her the little piece of paper had been Barbara, Cody's girlfriend. Still wondering who the person was, London quickly picked up the piece of paper, unfolding it. There was a message written on it.  
  
"Don't leave the room after the show ends." –she read. London obviously saw that the message was rather strange, but still, she decided to do as it said.  
  
A few minutes later, on the opposite side of the ball room, Stephen's cell phone started to ring. He quickly excused himself, and told Maddie that he had to pick up that call, leaving the room. Minutes went on, and he did not come back, as Carey kept singing. And, just as it had happened to London, someone approached Maddie's table and handed her a little piece of paper. The blonde could not see who it had been, although she thought it looked like Max, Zack's friend, not to mention self-proclaimed girlfriend. The message in it was the same one that it had been given to London.  
  
"Don't leave the room after the show ends… What's this all about?" –Maddie asked herself. Still, she decided to do as the message said, even though she did not even dream of what everyone was planning for her and London.  
  
After almost two hours, and a couple of bad jokes, everyone started to exit the ball room, really slowly, as Carey slowly opened the curtain, heading to the backstage. Only London and Maddie stayed in the room, and because of the darkness, they could not see each other. They both thought they were the only person standing there, in the dark, without knowing what to do.  
Meanwhile, behind the curtain, everyone got set for the big show.  
  
"Thanks for helping us with this, girls." –Cody told Barbara and Max.  
  
"Our pleasure, Cody. Maddie and London are also our friends, and we would do anything for them." –Barbara said.  
  
"She's right. Those two are going to have the biggest surprise of their lifetimes." –Max said, as she checked on to see if there was nothing wrong with her dress.  
  
"Alright, everyone, it's Showtime!" –Mark exclaimed, imitating Beetlejuice.  
  
Suddenly, all the stage lights went off, making the room pitch black, for a couple of seconds. Neither London nor Maddie uttered a word during that time. It was then that the lights on the stage came back, and they both saw that Carey was once again on the stage, and this time, she was not alone. On her right were Mark, Arwin, Cody and Barbara, and on her left were Zack, Max, Esteban and Tapeworm. And as if that was not enough, the curtain went up, and revealed none other than Mark's dad, Stephen, next to a white piano. They were all dressed up for the occasion with clothes that mirrored Carey's dress colour.  
  
"This one here is for the two lovely girls that are on this room, who love each other ever so much." –Zack said, as Stephen started to play the piano.  
  
 _There's a calm surrender_  
 _To the rush of day_  
 _When the heat of the rolling world_  
 _Can be turned away_   
  
Two projectors were pointed into the audience, one shinning over Maddie and the other, over London. Slowly, both girls looked to each other, and a huge smile appeared on both their faces. And even through they were separated by a couple of metres, both London and Maddie could see in each others eyes what they have been both waiting to find out… pure love.  
  
 _An enchanted moment_  
 _And it sees me through_  
 _It's enough for this restless warrior_  
 _Just to be with you_   
  
As the music went on, neither Maddie nor London knew what to do. They just stood there, without moving an inch. Then, Maddie slowly started to walk towards London, and London did the same thing. As they walked, their hearts began to pound harder and harder than ever before. They met at the middle. Words were not necessary for any of them. London looked Maddie in the eyes and simply smiled, as she put her arm around the blonde's waist. Maddie did the same thing, and soon, they were both in each other's arms, dancing the waltz.  
  
 _And can you feel the love tonight?_  
 _It is where we are_  
 _It's enough for wide eyed wanderer_  
 _That we got this far_   
  
"You're very pretty tonight, you know?" –London said. –"It's as if you're irradiating some kind of mystical power."  
  
"Well, you are also very pretty. Love your dress… it's beautiful and sexy at the same time." –Maddie declared, while the grin in her lips became bigger and bigger.  
  
"Maddie… I … I want to tell you something." –London told her.  
  
"S-So do I, London." –Maddie said, as the brunette slowly caressed her hair.

 _And can you feel the love tonight_  
 _How it's laid to rest_  
 _It's enough to make kings and vagabonds_  
 _Believe the very best_   
  
"You go first, Maddie." –London told her.

"N-No, please, you go first, London." –Maddie said.  
  
 _There's a time for ev'ryone_  
 _If they only learn_  
 _That the twisting kaleidoscope_  
 _Moves us all in turn_   
  
"O-Okay… M-Maddie… E-Ever since we know each other, t-that I feel that you are a very special person. You're smart… you have the prettiest smile in all Boston, you can be very sarcastic, though I understand why you're like that sometimes… you can see good in almost everything… but above all, you're even more beautiful than me, inside and out… Maddie, when I look at you, I feel like if I was looking to the biggest and most beautiful d-diamond in the world… what I'm trying to s-say is that…" –London declared, when Maddie shushed her by gently placing her finger on her lips, as a very naughty smile appeared in her face.  
  
 _There's a rhyme and reason_  
 _To the wild outdoors_  
 _When the heart of this starcrossed voyager_  
 _Beats in time with yours_  
  
"You don't have to say anything, London… And if you must know, I think that you're the most awesome person in the world. You might have all the money in the world, not to mention the biggest wardrobe that I've ever seen, but inside that chest of yours, you also have a 24-carat pure gold heart, carved with diamonds… I value our friendship more than anything on earth, and I just want you to know that I… well, that I'm also… in love with you." –Maddie declared.  
  
 _And can you feel the love tonight?_  
 _It is where we are_  
 _It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer_  
 _That we got this far_   
  
After finally saying what was in their hearts, it was as if a huge weight had been lifted from their chests. It had not been that hard to tell the truth to one another, like they thought it would be. Both girls just kept smiling, never taking off their eyes from one another. And finally it happened, the moment that both girls had been waiting for. Maddie pulled back to look at London, then slowly leaned in and captured London's lips in the sweetest of soft kisses. Tears of joy started to slide down London's face, and then, the same thing happened to Maddie. The kiss went on, as the song approached its end.  
  
 _And can you feel the love tonight_  
 _How it's laid to rest?_  
 _It's enough to make kings and vagabonds_  
 _Believe the very best_  
 _It's enough to make kings and vagabonds_  
 _Believe the very best_   
  
As the song ended, London and Maddie broke the kiss for a second, only to start kissing once again. On the stage, everyone started to applaud them. Zack kept on whistling, while Cody shouted bravo.  
  
"Thanks, guys. Thank you for doing this for us." –Maddie said, as tears fell from her eyes.  
  
"Don't thank us, girls. You did all of this, by yourselves, we just gave you the final push you needed to tell one another the truth about what was going in your hearts." –Mark said.  
  
"Yeah, and besides, you two gave me the chance to try out the two newest songs in my repertoire." –Carey said. –"I'm really happy for you two, you know?"  
  
Then, applauses were heard from the ball room's entrance. Turning around, London and Maddie saw that it as none other than Moseby, who was clapping his hands, while on his face he had the biggest smile that any of the girls had ever seen before.  
  
"As Zack would say, it was about time you girls did that." –he said, as he approached them. –"Congratulations, both of you, girls."  
  
"Thanks, Moseby." –London said, as she and Maddie gave him a huge bear hug. –"I didn't know that the rest of the guys had told you about… well, about this."  
  
"And they didn't tell me anything, I figured it out by myself. I mean, I've known London since she was a baby, and this afternoon, when she walked in the lobby, all gloomy, instead of being all spiffy like she usually does, when she comes back from a shopping spree, I knew that something was wrong with her. Still, it was only a coupe of hours ago when I crossed paths with Maddie and that she seemed rather nervous about something that I figured out everything." –he explained them.  
  
"You figured out that we were both mad in love with each other just from that?" –London asked Moseby, not entirely convinced.  
  
"Well, I admit that I only figured out everything when you two started dancing." –Moseby admitted.  
"That's alright." –Maddie said.  
  
"Now, if you guys excuse us, Maddie and I have a lot to talk about, right now, don't we, Blondie?" –London asked her, with a smirk.  
  
"Sure we do, Princess." –Maddie said, as s whispered something to London's ear. –"I'm going to make you mine, Princess."  
  
"Yay me…" –London whispered to Maddie in a low and sensual tone.


	12. Hot in the City

As they headed to the elevator, both girls continued to swap kisses and smooches. They were both mad in love with each other, and did not know how to show it to one another, so they just let their instinct take control of everything. They were so focused on what they were doing, that they did not even care if someone saw them, as they quickly tried to get to the elevator.    
  
"Maddie… (kiss)… if you knew… (kiss)… how much… (kiss)… in love… (kiss)… I am with… (kiss)… you…" –London said, as they clumsily climbed the stairs of the lobby.   
  
"You don't… (kiss)… need… (kiss)… to tell… (kiss)… me, sweetie… (kiss)… because I… (kiss) know you are… (kiss)… mad in love… (kiss)… as much as… (kiss)… I'm… (kiss)… with you." –Maddie said, as she kissed her lover, feeling the sweet cherry lipstick she was wearing.   
  
The way up to the penthouse looked like an eternity. When finally the elevator doors opened, they both exited the elevator, pacing side by side, holding their hands. They both giggled to each other, trying to keep serene and calm after what happened a few minutes before, but they could not control themselves. They jumped into each other's arms, and started to kiss again, in a fully engaged make out session. London managed to unlock the door without breaking her kiss with Maddie. They stepped inside and with a twirl; London closed the door by pressing Maddie's back into it. Then, they broke the kiss, and kept staring into each other's eyes. Maddie's big green eyes locked on London's beautiful auburn eyes, as if they were powerful magnets, keeping her from looking into any other direction. They both had huge smiles on their faces, although Maddie was an innocent smile, while London was a somehow playful smile.   
  
"Princess… Before we go further…" –Maddie said.  
  
"I know, Blondie, I know." –London said. –"Come, let's talk over there."  
  
London gently guided Maddie to the living room area, where they took a seat in one of the couches. Looking at each other, they both held hands.   
  
"London, I don't know if this is true, of if it's just a dream, from which I will soon wake up, but, if this is true, I don't know what to say… I never actually thought that you would have feelings for me… well, I had a little shred of hope inside my heart, but I never thought that…" –Maddie said, as a huge tear dropped from her eye.   
  
"I know, Blondie, I know… I also never thought that you would have feelings for me. I can guarantee you that this is no dream, Maddie. I'm real; you're real, and everything that just happened was as real as you can get. Our friends made what we both were afraid of doing, which was to make us reveal to one another that we were both mad in love with each other. And I promise you, that I will never let you go, I promise." –London said, as she started to cry. Maddie hugged her, and tenderly started to rock her like a baby in her arms, trying to comfort her.      
  
"It's okay, London." –Maddie said, as she kissed her in the lips. –"I also promise never to let you go. I will stand by you, all the way.  
  
"You have something really special inside you, Maddie… something magical, no doubt abut it. No wonder I fell in love with you." –London declared to Maddie.   
  
That said, the blonde girl once again kissed her lover in the lips, this time, more passionately than before, to which the brunette reacted by kissing her back with the same passion.   
  
"Come on… (kiss)… let's go… (kiss)… to my… (kiss)… bedroom." –London said, as they quickly moved through the living room, towards London's bedroom, never breaking the kiss.   
  
When they got to the bedroom, they threw themselves to London's bed, and quickly snuggled in. Maddie had already slept in London's bed many times before, so she knew how soft and spongy her mattress was, but on that night, it felt completely new to her. They went on kissing for what looked hours to them. Deep inside, they wanted to feel each other's touch, and most of all, they wanted to show each other that there was nothing to fear now, and that the worst was over, because they were together now. Maddie just smiled, as she ran her delicate fingers over London's beautiful dark silky hair.  
  
"If this is a dream, don't wake me up." –Maddie said, as London kissed her fingers.   
  
"Don't worry; I won't wake you up… (kiss)… Blondie." –London told her, while kissing her fingers. –"Hmm… Maddie, can ask you something?"  
  
"Of course you can, Princess. You can ask me… (kiss)… anything." –Maddie said, as she gave her a small peck in the lips.     
  
She tried to say what was on her mind, but she tried to speak, London's tongue became paralyzed. The brunette did not know why did that happened in the first place, but maybe it was because she had never asked anyone that question before.   
  
"M-M-Maddie…" –she stuttered.  
  
"Don't be afraid of saying anything, London. I won't judge you, okay?" –Maddie said, as she squeezed the heiress's left hand.   
  
"O-Okay, Maddie. I-I-I was wondering, if y-y-you would like t-t-to…" –London started.  
  
"I f I would like to make love to you? Is that it, Princess?" –Maddie said, as her sweet lips formed the most tender smile that London had ever seen on her face. Even Barbie would be jealous of that smile, capable of melting the iciest of all hearts.      
  
"Y-Yes…" –the Asian brunette said, as she blushed, being as red as a tomato.   
  
Maddie answered by simply kissing London, enveloping her tongue into hers. Their bodies began to get hotter by the minute, as they started to make out right there on the bed. But then, Maddie stopped. She got out of top of London, and went to the living room. London did not understand why Maddie did that. She would later find out that Maddie had gone to the living room to turn off Arwin's transmitter, which had been placed under one of the couches by Zack earlier that afternoon. Not even for a second would she wane anyone to hear her or London, wile they were making out.    
  
Finally, when she came back, London smiled at her, as Maddie threw herself into London's arms. She placed her hands on top of Maddie's and guided them down to the top button of blonde's blue jeans. Maddie let out a quivering gasp as the button popped free. The shallowness of her breath made her chest visibly rise as she guided London's hand onto the zipper and slowly slid it down, revealing that Maddie was wearing a black thong. She really wanted to rip it off, but the girl knew that it was still too early for that. With the same energy, after helping her taking off her jeans, London grasped Maddie's pink turtle-neck sweater and slowly pulled it over her head, revealing a white t-shirt with the phrase "I'm a Rock Star!" stamped on it. Also pulling it over the blonde's head, it revealed Maddie's black strapless bra underneath it.   
  
"You're… (kiss)… so beautiful, Maddie." –London said as her tongue, played with Maddie's, inside her mouth.   
  
"I bet… (kiss)… you are even… (kiss)… more beautiful than me... (kiss)… underneath that dress." –Maddie said, as she prepared to unzip London's dress, when she was stopped by the heiress, who planted Maddie's hands on top of her, and then, whispered to her ear:  
  
"Rip it off, Maddie."   
  
"What?! But that's such a beautiful dress, London." –Maddie told her, because she did not want to ruin a dress as pretty as that one, even though she was on the verge of having sex with the most beautiful brunette that she had ever seen in her life.  
  
"Sure you can, I got 5 more of these, Maddie. Please, rip it, off… I want you to possess me." –London said, having the last sentence being said in a low sexy tone.  
  
Complying with her lover's wish, Maddie, concentrated, and with a smooth and quick move, she ripped the dress into shreds, revealing that London was wearing a beautiful red bra and matching thong, both with her initials needle-worked in gold string in them. London just smiled, kicking out her shoes, as she wrapped herself around Maddie, making her feel horny.  
  
"You're a box full of surprises, London." –Maddie said, as her fingers ran across the brunette's skin, finding their way down, and finally sliding inside London's underwear, where she found out that her lover was soaking wet. –"Admit it; you were planning this for tonight, weren't you?" –She asked her, as her finger touched her clit.     
  
"Well, I… AAAHHH!!!" –London screamed, as Maddie kept touching her clit.  
  
"You better start telling me, everything, otherwise, I'm going to keep doing this until you cum." –Maddie whispered to her, with most erotic and sensual voice that she had ever heard.  
  
"Okay! I admit it, I did not know that we were going to do this tonight, but something inside me told me that I should prepare myself for something like this, just in case… Now, please, don't make cum just yet, Maddie." –London begged, even though she wanted Maddie to make her cum right there.  
  
"Oh, don't worry. I won't make you cum, just yet." –Maddie whispered to her ear, as she inserted one of her fingers into London's pussy, making her moan. –"But that doesn't mean, I can't make you suffer a little." –she said.  
  
"FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUUUUCK!!!!" London screamed, as Maddie kept on touching her clit. –"Maddie, please, don't make me suffer like that… Either make cum, or don't be so good at it, please." –she begged her.  
  
"Not a chance, Princess. You're soaking wet, under this thong, and I'm going to love to lick every last drip of your love juices, beautiful." –Maddie grinned at her, as she began to slide her tong in one slow move, kissing London's legs in the process.  
  
After the thong was removed, Maddie looked into London's hairless pussy with a malevolent grin in her face. Its lips looked like a beautiful flower, while her swollen clit reminded her of a pearl. The fact of her not having a single pubic hair in that area, made Maddie feel even more aroused by her lover's beauty. She took London's clit into her mouth and began sucking it, tasting her juices, as London moved her hips up and down. Her tongue looked like it had a life of its own, lusciously licking the brunette's clit. Slowly and gently, she continued sliding her tongue inside London at a moderate pace, putting her nearer an orgasm, which Maddie deliberately wanted to as possible, torturing her a little, but also making her even more wishful of the orgasm she would have.    
  
"OH MY GOD!! Maddie!" –London exhaled, as she tried to restrain herself. –"How on earth did you… become this… good, Blondie?"  
  
"Mmm… it's just licking a popsicle, Princess. And let me add that you taste like cherries." –Maddie stated as she lifted her head, licking London's juices that she had in her lips. –"Now, what do we have underneath this beautiful bra?"  
  
With that, Maddie unclasped London's bra, revealing the Asian beauty's supple D-Cup breasts and all their glory. The blonde girl looked at them with a sensual grin in her face. Maddie had always known that London had always a pair of breasts that made every girl envy her, but she never thought that they could be as beautiful as they were. Her nipples now rock hard, and Maddie jumped on the action, by using her left hand to pinch them hard, while she used her right one to stimulate London's centre, making her moan harder than ever.       
  
"AHHH… GOD… DAMN!!!! SHIT!!!… YEAH, BABY, YEAH!!! MAKE ME CUM, MADDIE!!" –London begged Maddie, as she tried to regain her breath.   
  
Complying the orders from her lover, Maddie decided that se had suffered enough. Picking up the pace, Maddie slid her tongue once again into London's tights, and one final thrust was the only thing needed for to release the orgasm that London ad been building on, for the past few minutes closing her eyes in the process. She had never felt that good before in her life. Everything felt right to her, as she savored the delicious orgasm that slowly started to fade away. When she finally opened her eyes, Maddie was looking at her, with an unexplainable tenderness in her eyes.  
  
"Maddie…" –she whispered sweetly.  
  
"My name never sounded so sexy before, you know?" –Maddie said, as she licked her own fingers that were still dripping with London's love juices. –"Still, I always figured that you swore when in bed."  
  
"Well, I may be the heiress of an international chain of hotels, but that doesn't mean I can't swear, you know? Still, that was the best orgasm that I've ever had, you know? I was right… you have something really special inside you." –London whispered to her ear.  
  
"Don't say that, London, you're making me blush!" –Maddie told her, as her face became as red as a tomato.  
  
"More than you already are, Blondie? I don't think that's possible…" –London said with a sexy tone; as she positioned herself on top of Maddie, arching her back a little.  
  
"W-What are you doing?" –Maddie asked her, as London positioned her hands on Maddie's shoulders, caressing them.   
  
"Well, you had your turn to tease me, now it's my turn to do it to you, my luscious blonde." –London answered her, as her lips formed an impish smile. –"You're mine now, Blondie, and you're going to enjoy as much as I will."  
  
Keeping her promise, London started to kiss Maddie's neck, quickly finding her pulse point and started sucking there, making the blonde go wild about it. Saying that she was on cloud nine on that precise moment was not enough; Maddie was on cloud ten or eleven, as London kept kissing her neck.  
  
"Mmmm… that's it, London. That feels so good…" –she moaned.  
  
"If you think that's good, wait until I get to the main course, Maddie." –she answered her with an even wider grin than before.   
  
The Asian beauty kept on kissing Maddie, moving down to her collarbone, while sniffing the blonde's perfume, which smelled like apples and mistletoe. Maddie shivered, as London continued to kiss her, making small circles with her tongue. With a gentle and swift move, she unclasped Maddie's bra and revealed her D-Cup breasts. They were as beautiful as hers, but something in them made them look more perfect, even though London did not know what exactly. She gently, but firmly squeezed Maddie's left breast, as she started to suck violently on Maddie's right hardened nipple, nibbling it occasionally. The feeling was almost impossible to describe, as the adrenaline flowed through London and Maddie's veins.   
  
"London… squeeze them harder, baby! Harder! –Maddie begged her, as she began to pull London towards her, making her feel as if they were one.   
  
Obeying Maddie, London began to squeeze both her breasts, pinching the nipples, teasing her even more. The blonde started to moan slightly louder than before, and that was London's cue to proceed with her plan. She started to descend, kissing Maddie's mid-section, which made her laugh for a brief moment. London had always known that Maddie was ticklish. Continuing to massage Maddie's left breast, she used her right hand, to slide the thong that Maddie was wearing. Now completely naked, London could for the first time contemplate Maddie's beauty at full. She then slid her index finger into the blonde's pussy, touching her clit in the process. Maddie lifted her hips slightly to aid London in her efforts.  
  
"SHIT, LONDON, SHIT!!!" –Maddie exclaimed in a whisper-yell, as she shut her eyes and moaned in ecstasy.  
  
"And then, I'm the one who swears in bed, Blondie…" –she said deadpanned, letting out a small giggle. –"Now, get ready, Blondie, because London Tipton is about to take you on a journey that you'll never forget…"  
  
She lowered her head and spread Maddie's legs open. Taking the blonde' clit into her mouth, she began to suck deeply, making her yell.  
  
"SHIT!!! That's it, Princess!!!" –Maddie exclaimed–"AAAHHHH, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCKING SHIT!!!" –she yelled again, as London repeated her sucking action, as she grasped Maddie's bare ass. The Asian-brunette then began flicking her tongue even more rapidly than Maddie did earlier.  
  
London decided to also do the same thing that Maddie did to her earlier. She would slow down her rhythm, and then pick up the pace a couple of seconds later, thus creating a roller coaster of sensations that instantly put Maddie on the brink of release, down and then back up again. As she tasted Maddie's juices, London started to think on how she came up with the idea to do that. She then guessed that it was her sexual instinct taking over her, making her do those kinds of things, which weren't bad. In fact they were positively exciting both to her and to Maddie.   
  
Adrenaline rushed through their veins faster than before; making their hearts beat faster than the heart of a hummingbird. London picked up the pace, as Maddie screamed in ecstasy, signaling that she was about to cum. Moaning and yelling, Maddie came harder than ever in her life. As the orgasm exploded like a bomb inside Maddie's, flooding her being with a unique kind of energy, she felt as if a she had been touched an angel.   
  
"OH, GOD LONDON… FUCK!!! YEAH!!! I'M CUMMIIIIIIIIIING!!!" –Maddie screamed as the orgasm took over her mind and body.   
  
Several moments went by as the two girls turned lovers collected themselves, wrapping up in each others arms. For several minutes, the only thing they could do was smile at one another, tanking in the occasional heavy breath, filling their lungs with air once again. They both were afraid of what might happen if they were just dreaming. Maddie kept on smiling as her fingers played with London's hair, wrapping a small lock of her hair around her finger. London on the other hand, stood there, silent, without uttering a word. She was too afraid of ruining that tender moment between her and Maddie. Occasionally, she would kiss Maddie's skin, feeling just how soft it was.         
  
"This is so surreal." –Maddie broke the silence that was in the air. –"I think that if anyone asked me that tonight, I would be having sex with you, after proclaiming my love to you, I would have said that they were plain locos." –Maddie stated, making London giggle.  
  
"It's not surreal, Maddie… it's just awkward… but in a good way, I mean." –London told her. –"Still, as for the part that I would be having hot wet sex with the hottest blonde in Boston, who happens to be a sex goddess, tonight, that I admit that I also never thought that would even be possible… at least, not tonight." –London said, with the biggest smile Maddie had ever seen in her face.   
  
"You're not to bad yourself, Tipton." –Maddie deadpanned, making the brunette giggle. –"Damn, I can't still believe that I have the most beautiful girl in the world in my arms." –she said, never taking her eyes of the brunette.  
  
"I thought it was I had the most beautiful girl in the world in my arms, you know?!" –London exclaimed, making Maddie giggle.  
  
"Flattering won't take you anywhere, with me, Princess." –Maddie stated, as she kept giggling. –"Still, this night was perfect in every aspect, you know? First, I get to talk with one of my favourite authors, then, our friends help me proclaiming my love for you, as we dance the waltz to Elton John's song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?", and finally, I make sex with the most beautiful girl that I have ever seen." –She concluded, giving a small peck in London's lips.   
  
"You talk as if the night was over, Blondie." –London said, as she replied to Maddie's peck, by giving her another.   
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You should already know that with me, the party is only over, when Miss London Tipton wants it to end, and believe me that the party is just starting." –she said with a malevolent smile, which made Maddie start to feel horny once again.  
  
"Oh, is that so?" –Maddie asked her with a challenging voice, as she kissed her in the mouth. –"Then, what is that you are planning, Princess?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know if you really want to know…" –London said with a teasing voice.  
  
"Yes, I want to know! Come on, London, stop teasing me!" –the blonde girl demanded.   
  
"Okay, if you really want to, follow me." –London said, as she grabbed her by the hands, and pulled her off the bed.       
  
Maddie followed London into her wardrobe. Inside, London grabbed a pair of dressing-gowns and handed one to Maddie, as she herself put the other one. Maddie did not know where her lover was taking her, still, she followed her. When they got to the section where London kept all of her shoes, the heiress let go Maddie's hand for a couple of minutes, as she went to the wall, and pushed what looked like a hidden button, which unlocked a secret door. At first, the blonde thought that London had opened a Panic Room, but when the lights went on inside, she was caught off guard about she saw inside.   
  
Inside that room that was as big as London's living room, were all kinds of sex toys and items used in a bondage session. Dildos, vibrators, strap-on, whips, anal-beads, spike collars, bottles of liquid latex, leather gloves and boots, bondage outfits, among other things adorned the walls of the room. She gasped, because she never thought that London would be into bondage, or something of that kind.   
  
"Come on, don't just stand there, Maddie, come in." –London told her with a sweet voice.  
  
As she entered the room, Maddie shivered, as she looked at everything.  
  
"I-I didn't know that you liked these things, Princess." –Maddie said, as she inspected a couple of multi-coloured dildos that were near her.   
  
"Oh, I'm not… I just bought these things because I was feeling a little down in the mud, a couple of months ago." –London answered her. –"Still, I got to say that I love those bondage outfits. They're really comfortable, unlike what people think."     
  
Maddie could not believe what her lover had just told her. Still, that did not change what she felt for her. Moving in closer to the brunette, Maddie wrapped her arms around her waist, and whispered softly to her ear.   
  
"Would you show me, how do you look in one of those suits, Princess?"  
  
"Sure." –London said with her perky voice. –"Which one do you want me to try on?"  
  
"Why don't you surprise me?" –Maddie told her as she let her night-gown slide slowly down her body, revealing her naked body under it. –"You know that I love surprises…" –she declared, as she kissed her own finger, while giving London a sexy look.   
  
Determined to surprise Maddie, London told her to close her eyes, telling her that she could not peek, whatever the reason was, until she told her. She picked out a black crotchless black leather strap and bodysuit with holes in the chest to allow her beautiful breasts to hang through. Along with that she picked out a pair of thigh high leather boots and arm length gloves. She decided to also surprise her with a little make-up. A little mascara on her eyelids, and she applied some black lipstick to her lips, giving her a sexy and daring look.   
  
"Okay, Maddie, you can open your eyes, now…" –London told her.   
  
When Maddie opened her eyes, she was wordless about London's look. It was as if she had turned herself into a complete different person. Still, even though she looked like another person, Maddie knew that it was London, because she saw the sweetness and tenderness in her eyes, the same sweetness and tenderness that she had fallen in love with.   
  
"My God, you're so gorgeous…" –she said, as she took a look at London.   
  
"You really think so? I don't look like a cheap whore, or anything else?" –London asked her.  
  
"Are you kidding? You look like a professional dominatrix, London." –Maddie said, as she wrapped herself around London, feeling the black leather against her nude skin. –"Now, shut up, kiss me and punish me, because I've been a very bad and naughty girl…" –she purred to London's ear, as she gently grasped the brunette's ass with both her hands, making her moan.      


	13. The Morning After

According to the theory of relativity, time passes differently in different kinds of situation. For example, if you touch a steaming pipe, one second will look like an hour to you. But, if you touch a hot sexy girl, an hour will look like a second. And that was just what had happened with Maddie and London. The night had been long, even though it felt to them that it had just lasted a couple of minutes. Eventually, after making love on almost everywhere in the penthouse, showing just how much they loved each other, they went back to London's bed, where they fell asleep. The Sun had not yet risen in the horizon, although you could already see the dawn coming. The light that entered through the windows was still very weak, but enough for London, who was the first one to wake up, to see the delineated lines of her lover. She tried not to move, so she would not wake Maddie, who slept peacefully in her arms. Looking around, she saw that her bedroom was a mess. Scattered across the room's floor, were all the sex toys that they had brought with them from London's secret room, as well as the bondage suit she wore for Maddie, and another one that Maddie also tried on, because London asked her to. Still, no matter what they had done the previous night, the love that London nurtured for Maddie was as strong as ever before, if not even more. She came to the conclusion, that Maddie was not only her best-friend and lover, but she was also her guardian-angel… a person that she could count on, every time.   
  
"Sleep well, Maddie, sleep well." –London said, as she closed her eyes, trying to go back to sleep, hoping that she would dream about Maddie.  
  
After a while, it was Maddie's turn to wake up. She slowly opened her eyes, to see London sound asleep in her arms, with a cute smile in her lips. Maddie knew she should not wake her up, but she could not help herself. Gently grabbing London's boobs, she started to massage them, making the brunette moan a little. Then, she started to lick her lips, ending up kissing her. This made London wake up, and the first thing she did was returning the kiss, kissing Maddie as passionately as she could. With a huge smile on her face, she looked up to Maddie and said:  
  
"Hey, there, Blondie!" –London said.  
  
"Hey there yourself, Princess." –Maddie told her. –"So, did you sleep well?"  
  
"Like an angel; which doesn't surprise me, you know? After all, I fell asleep in the arms of a real angel…" –London said. –"But you shouldn't have woke me up, I was having a kinky dream with you."  
  
"Really?" –Maddie said, with a mischievous smile. –"And let me ask you, what happened in that dream?"  
  
"Sorry, can't tell you. Haven't you ever watched Cinderella? You can't tell your dream to anyone, or else it won't become true." –London told her, as she snuggled herself closer to Maddie.  
  
"What are you, 5?" –Maddie deadpanned on her.   
  
"For your information, I'll always be a little girl when it comes to those things." –London stated.  
  
"Well, maybe on the inside, but on the outside, it will be a little difficult for anyone to say you're a little girl, because of those big boobs of yours…" –Maddie joked, as she tickled London's left boob.   
  
"That coming from someone who spent a good half an hour sucking on them, just as if she was a baby girl… Besides, you love my big boobs, don't you?" –the brunette teased her.   
  
"Just as much as you love mine." –Maddie teased her back. –"Now, come on, tell me what the dream was about… who knows, you might get what you wished for." –she said with a naughty voice, making London bite her upper lip.  
  
"Mmmmm… okay! What happened was this, I walked in on a store, where I saw you, and you were just wearing a skimpy bikini, which did not leave much to a person's imagination. You walk in next to me, and start to kiss me. You slipped out of that bikini and we started to make out right there, as you ripped off my clothes, while yelling my name out loud." –London told her.   
  
"Sounds fun… I'll make a mental note that we have to make out in a public place, girlfriend." –Maddie said, while kissing London.  
  
"Girlfriend… it sounds strange…" –London said.   
  
"You don't like me calling you that?" –Maddie asked her.   
  
"It's not that. It's just that… I never had anyone calling me that before, and it sounds strange, but in a good way, I mean." –London said with an itty bitty nervous voice.   
  
"Well, I like when people call me that… and I believe that it will sound much better when pronounced by you, unlike my all ex-boyfriends. Trust me, the way I felt for any of them is nothing compared to what I feel for you, Princess. While they were a tiny flame, you are like a blazing Inferno, which I want to be consumed by, for the rest of my life." –Maddie said, as her fingers ran across London's cheeks, wiping a little tear of joy that was rolling down through her face.   
  
"You're so good to me, Blondie." –London burst out in tears. –"And that's why I have the courage to ask you, if you are willing to be my girlfriend, and maybe one day, my wife?"  
  
"Whoa! Slow down a little bit there, London…" –Maddie told her.  
  
"What?! Did I say something wrong?!" –London asked her, afraid that she had said something that might have hurt her.   
  
"No, it's just… I never thought that you would… well, you know; propose to me in marriage, right away." –Maddie said. –"Why don't we take one step at the time?"   
  
"You're right, I'm sorry… I just got a little carried away, and well, you know I am…" –London apologized. –"Well, then, let me ask you this, this time properly… Maddie, would you give me the honour of becoming my girlfriend?"   
  
"Did Apollo 11 landed on the Moon? Of course, I'll be your girlfriend… that is, if you are willing to be my girlfriend too…" –Maddie said.   
  
"Give me a huge kiss with those sweet and sexy lips of yours, and you got yourself a sweet deal, Blondie." –London leaned forward and captured Maddie's lips in a torrid and wet kiss.              
  
They eventually ended up making out again. The way they yelled out each other's name when they reached an orgasm echoed through the whole penthouse. Giving themselves away to the pleasure was the only thing that they could think on that precise moment. To them, it was as if the rest of the world did not exist.   
  
When the Sun finally rose up on the horizon, London and Maddie were still awake; this time just talking to each other. They were discussing what they would eventually do about their relationship.  
  
"I don't know if my family is going to take this well, you know, Princess?" –Maddie declared, as she wrapped her arms around London's waist. –"I mean, my parents love you like a daughter… in fact, to my father's eyes, you are his daughter, so I can imagine that he might accept well our relationship, after the initial shock. My mother on the other hand…"  
  
"You're afraid that she may not accept it, aren't you, Blondie?" –London asked her, as she kissed her eyelids.   
  
"Yeah, and I know that she will not accept our relationship or the fact that one of her daughters is a lesbian… I can already hear her yelling out that this isn't natural, and that as a good Irish Catholic girl that I supposedly am, I shouldn't even think about these things, because they are considered blasphemy and a sin to the eyes of God, and all that crap…" –Maddie sighed. Sharing that with London made her feel so much better about herself. –"What about your parents? What will they think when you tell them about all this?"    
  
"Frankly, I don't know… I rarely see any of them. Daddy is always busy travelling all over the globe, and I hardly see him. My mom, well… I hardly see her either, and when I do get to see her, she tries to talk to me as if I was one of her friends, and not her only daughter. In fact, I don't even know how any of them will react when I tell them this, Maddie." –London said.  
  
"Well, Moseby accepted our relationship and he's the closest thing you have to a father in this hotel. I'm sure that they both will accept this. After all, you are their only daughter. Besides, I'm not seeing your father, a man who's always trying to compensate his absence by giving you all those expensive gifts, to just yell at you and kicking you out of this hotel and of his life, not to mention cancelling all of your credit cards and closing down all of your bank accounts, just because you're in love with me… or would he?" –Maddie said that out loud, not realizing that London's father might just do that.  
  
"No, he wouldn't do that. He may have many defects, but he wouldn't do that… it's not in his nature. And even if he did that, I wouldn't care, I got you and that's all that matters, Maddie. You're my biggest and most precious treasure in the whole world, because you're my girlfriend, my best-friend and my guardian-angel, who I know will always be there for me." –London declared.          
  
"Oh, that's so sweet, London. And for the record, you're also my guardian-angel." –Maddie said, as tears fell down from her eyes. –"I can't believe that you would be willing to give up all of this luxury just for me."  
  
"Oh, and I wouldn't be… I mean, it's not that I wouldn't do it of you, but what I meant is that I don't need my dad's money. Do you remember a couple of months ago, when we had to do that parental project, in which we had to take care of that baby doll as if it was a real baby?" –London asked her, to which she nodded. "Well, after that fiasco, in which we were both punished by the nuns, I started to think that one day, when I had children, I would want them to have everything they deserve, and I would surely not going to be dependent on my dad's bank account forever… So, I went to talk to Moseby, and told him that I wanted to invest on something, so I could also have my own money, you know? So, he advised me to invest in the stock market. In just a couple of weeks, I won more than 10 billion dollars with those shares. After I won all that, I decided to put the money in several bank accounts in Switzerland, so that one day, I might use it o start a new company, or something else, you know?"  
  
Maddie just cold not believe what she heard. That did not look the London that she knew. The London she knew was a girl who only cared about the latest fashion in Paris, going to parties… This was definitely a side of her personality that Maddie was starting to get know. And the way he talked about it, it only made the blonde feel even more respect for her lover.  
  
"London, I don't know what to say." –Maddie said. –"I never thought that you would do something so mature and responsible."   
  
"Yeah, well, this just proves that I don't just have air in my head, and that I can have a couple of good ideas now and then." –London said to her. –"Now, it's almost 8 in the morning. Why don't you go and take a shower, while I call room services and ask them to bring us breakfast?"  
  
"Will you join me in the shower?" –Maddie said, as she got up and grabbed her night-gown.  
  
"Sure. As soon as I finish ordering breakfast, I'll run straight to the bathroom, so we can have a shower, together."  
  
When she entered the huge bathroom, Maddie felt bad about not having London right there, all to herself. So, instead of just taking a shower, she decided to surprise her with something special. She filled up the bathtub and poured some bath salts in it, and then, used a whole bottle of bubble bath foam. Feeling proud of herself, she took off the night-gown, and gently entered in the bathtub, hiding herself in the foam. Finally, when London entered the bathroom, she looked around, looking for the blonde. When she saw the bathtub filled with enough foam for a foam party, she smiled. Closing in, she looked in to the foam, looking for Maddie. Entering in Maddie's game she said:  
  
"Oh, my! I wonder where Maddie is… Maddie, oh, Maddie, where are you? Come out; come out, wherever you are!"  
  
That's when Maddie's head appeared from beneath the foam, and smiled at London.   
  
"Okay, okay you win, I'm here…" –she got up, her whole body wet and covered in foam.  
  
"Guess you didn't want to have a shower." –London said, as her night-gown started to slide down her body, leaving her completely naked.   
  
"When I saw this huge bathtub, I started to think in all the naughty things that we could do in it, while having a bath, just the two of us, really close to each other…" –Maddie whispered to London's ear, then pulling her into the tub, making her giggle.  
  
"You really are a naughty… (kiss)… naughty girl, Maddie… AAAAHH!"  
  
"Well, you're no… (kiss)… angel, London." –Maddie giggled, as she touched London's clit, rubbing it with her index finger. –"Now just be a good little girl, and cum for me, my baby." –she said, as she kissed the brunette passionately.  
  
It did not take long, for the two of them to engage in a hot, wet session of pure and romantic sex. More than in the previous night, they were eager to show how much they meant to each other. While Maddie rubbed London's clit, this one leaned back on her elbows, moaning harder and harder, while wrapping her two long beautiful legs around Maddie's waist. Her whole body was on fire, and she felt as if she was about to melt. London's boobs started bouncing up and down as if they had a mind of their own, until Maddie cupped hers with London's.    
  
"UNH-HUH… UNH-HUH… UNH-HUH… UNH-HUH… FUCK, MADDIE! THAT FEELS SOOOOOOOO GOOOOD!!!" –London exclaimed, as she reached an orgasm.  
  
Panting hard, it took her about a minute to gain her breath back. During that time, Maddie just kept kissing her softly, all over her face, without uttering a single word.   
  
"Maddie, I don't know how you managed to do that, but let me say, that from now on, every time we take a bath together, you have to do me that, baby." –London said, smiling at her.   
  
"I'll consider that, if you do something for me." –Maddie told her, with a naughty smile in her lips. She leaned forward, and whispered something to the brunette's ears.  
  
"You want me to do you that here, right now?!" –London asked Maddie, to which she winked her eye. –"Okay, then, let's do this, then…"  
  
Maddie spread her legs wide open, lifting her hips and grinned at London, telling her to go forward. The brunette did not hesitate, as her head began bobbing up and down between the blonde's marvellous legs, while giving her intense oral sex, making her scream. For several moments, every nerve ending of Maddie's body entered in shock, as if she had been electrocuted, and an amazing discharge of energy spread all over her body, making her scream louder and louder, as she came close to an orgasm.    
  
"OH, OH, OH, OH… THAT'S IT, BABY… OH, OH, OH, OH… FUCK ME HARD, PRINCESS!!!!" Maddie began panting as London furiously devoured her centre. "London! Please! YES!!!" Maddie exclaimed before her lungs filled with air for one last ear splitting orgasmic shriek.  
  
Panting hard, Maddie's mind took several moments to come back to reality. From all the orgasms that she had since she was with London, that was the most powerful of them all. Her heart rate started to decrease, slowly, letting her hear her own heart beat, pounding in her ears.   
  
"So… did you enjoy it, as much as I did, Blondie?" –London deadpanned on her.  
  
"Well, in a scale 1 to 10, being 1 the lowest and 10 the highest, I'll give you an 8." –Maddie said.  
  
"An 8?!" –the brunette exclaimed, shocked. –"Sorry to tell you this, Maddie, but the way you screamed and swore, that was a 10, if not an 11…" –London chuckled.  
  
"That coming from a girl, who started panting and moaning when I had barely touched your clit with my tongue." –Maddie chuckled back.   
  
"You're so mean, girl!" –London laughed.  
  
After a while, they got out of the bathtub. After drying themselves, Maddie did London's hair, and London did the same for Maddie. As they brushed each other's hair, they could not help but to change a few kisses and smooches.   
  
"Hmmm… Why hasn't room service…(kiss)… delivered our breakfast yet?" –London asked, as she gently brushed smooth hair.   
  
"Probably there are lots of orders, and… (kiss)… the kitchen has its hands full." –Maddie told her.  
  
That's when they heard someone knocking on the door. Room service it called. London just told that they could leave it at the door. A few minutes went by, when finally London and Maddie exited the bathroom, with their hair done, and London told Maddie that they would be eating in the living room. Going to the door, the brunette opened it and pulled the little cart with the breakfast, when she noticed that there was something on the floor. She immediately picked it up, and saw that it was a bunch of written pages, all stapled, similar to a script. And then, she looked at it and saw the title; Love Is Magical, and it was signed by two different persons… Steven Stevenson and Mark Stevenson.   
  
"Maddie, you're not going to believe what I have in my hands…" –London said, as she brought the cart and the "book" that had been written by father and son.   
  
They both sat in the couch and London opened it. They instantly started reading it, and saw that there was a personal message for them.  
  
" _London and Maddie. If you're reading this, then it means that me and my father managed to finish this in just a couple of hours. Right now both of you must be hugging to each other, trying to understand what it's really going on. I bet London is already asking herself what is this, and well, I am going to tell you. This here is a little story that my father and I wrote from the time you went up to the penthouse, to the moment I'm writing these words. In few words, this is your story, told from our perspective. We based ourselves on the amount of stories that both of you have told me since we moved in to the hotel.. okay, I admit, that Zack and Cody have also helped by giving us a couple of details, and well, we hope that we have proven ourselves worthy of telling this story… a story which is only to be read by you, and of course, finished by you two. I hope you're having a great time, and let me say that I'm rooting for things to work between you two, because I know that you two have everything to make all of this work. Thanks for being my friends, and well, I hope you enjoy it._ "  
  
Signed,   
Mark Stevenson and Stephen Stevenson      
  
"Our story? They have written a book about us?! That's so sweet…" –Maddie said, as she turned over the pages. –"Can you imagine, London? Our love story, written by one of our friends, and by his father, who happens to be one of my favourite authors. What are the odds of that happening?"   
  
"As much as the odds of me having sex with Britney Spears." –London joked about. –"But you're right, that's really sweet. I can't wait to read it… I know! Will you read it to me, when we're in bed together?"  
  
"Sure, I will." –Maddie asserted, as she gave a small peck in London's lips. –"By the way, do you have plans for today? My father told me that he would call me when things settled down back home, so I could go back. So until her calls me, I0m staying here at the hotel."  
  
"Well, first we're going to eat, and then we're heading to my wardrobe, and were going to find some pretty clothes to wear, both you and I, and then, I have a little something planned for us both."  
  
"What is it? Come on, London, be a sweet and tell me what it is that you're planning for us, Princess." Maddie begged her, making sad puppy eyes.   
  
"Sorry, you'll just have to wait. But I can tell you one thing, it's going to hurt a little, but you're going to end up loving it in the end, Blondie." –London told her, with a malicious grin, making Maddie wonder, what could she have planned for them.


	14. You're Mine Now Blondie

As they had breakfast, both girls started to read Mark and Steven's story, and were amazed by the amount of details. Even Maddie, who was used to read Steven's books, was astounded by the writing style, no doubt a fusion oh his own writing style, with Mark's writing style, which combined both of them in a perfect symbiosis. They easily recognized some of their own stunts and misadventures, which strengthened their friendship. From their sweet-sixteen parties, where London ended up coming to Maddie's, because she had been kicked out of her own party, to Maddie's prom night, where she ended up dancing with Zack, not to mention the time when London tried to open a boutique and asked Maddie to help her, or when the Asian-beauty used Maddie as a test subject for her new line of beauty products, everything was there, written word by word, as it had happened.   
  
"I don't believe this; I told Mark about this, just two days ago." –Maddie said, as she ate a cupcake. –"I can't believe that he remembered about it, when writing this.  
  
"Oh, I had almost forgotten about the time that we disguised ourselves as nuns to evade detention…" –London joked about, as she turned over the page.    
  
"You might have, but I haven't." –Maddie shot back. –"I had to pray 200 Hail-Mary's because of that joke… But you know what? It was worth it, because every time we end up getting ourselves into trouble, in the end, I know that I have you by my side. Now that I think about it that was one of the funniest things I've ever done. And the best part was that I was with you."   
  
"Yeah, if I could go back in time, I would do it all over again, without changing a single thing. If we think about it, we've been there for one another, almost every time; during the good times and during the bad times." –London declared, as she drank a sip of milk.   
  
"Well, let's be sure that from this moment on, we only have good moments to share with one another." –Maddie said, as she took a bite from the syrup covered pancakes, and then kissed London in the mouth, sharing the delicious treat with her.     
  
When they were turning a page, something that was hidden in the middle of the pages, dropped into the ground. It was a small piece of paper, with something written on it. Maddie picked it up and read it out loud.  
  
"Girls, Mark almost forgot to tell you one thing in his letter, so I asked them to place this little note in it. Come to the ball room at 6 pm. There's another surprise waiting you there. – Signed, Marion Moseby." –Maddie read.   
  
"A surprise? I wonder what it will be." –London asked out loud.    
  
After breakfast, London pulled Maddie into her wardrobe with only one thought in her mind, to transform Maddie into a princess, so her outside would match her inside. If to Maddie, London was a real princess, then to London, Maddie was a true princess to her eyes; there was no doubt about it. The way she talked, the way she laughed, the way she moved, and even the way she giggled, all those things made her a princess to London's eyes.  
  
"Okay, let's see, Maddie, I think I have the perfect thing for you right here." –London said, as she grabbed a cute blue tank top stamped with a 5-point star, and showed it to her. –"This here will look amazing on you."  
  
"Hmm… I don't know, London, I was thinking about wearing something a little more colourful… maybe, something red or orange." –Maddie told her.   
  
"Well, if you think so, I think I got just the thing… I bought this a couple of months ago, when I went to Miami, to the preview of Bruce Willis's new movie." –she said, as she opened up a drawer, and pulled out a beautiful red and orange striped blouse, with a black horizontal stripe in the middle. It looked so fluffy and precious, that Maddie felt that that blouse was the prettiest one that she had ever seen.   
  
"It's so beautiful…" –Maddie stated. –"…It's way prettier than the one that you offered me last Christmas." –She laughed, remembering of the sweater that London had offered her, which had been knitted by London herself, and had three arms, instead of two.  
  
"Yeah, I know, but just so you know, now I know how to knit properly, and one of these days, I'll knit something pretty for you. As for that blouse, it pales in comparison to your beauty, my sweet liquorish bonbon." –London said, as she bitted her upper lip.  
  
"You're sure I can borrow that blouse? I mean, it's not that I don't want to wear it, but it looks so delicate, that I'm afraid of not looking good in it…" –Maddie said nervously.   
  
"You'll look beautiful in it… Come on, Maddie, try it on, please."  
  
Hearing London's pledges, Maddie did what she asked her. When she put it on, she felt even happier than before. Maybe it was the colours in the blouse that were affecting her humour, making her feel even better about herself and about what was happening to her.   
  
"You look so beautiful, Blondie. Here, put these black pants, they'll match the rest of the outfit, and of course, I know that you don't like to wear sneakers when dressed up with fancy clothes, so, these here will complete the set. –London told her, as she handed to Maddie a pair of red go-go boots.   
  
The way the blonde looked in those clothes made London shiver with pleasure. The blouse looked as if it had been made for Maddie, and her pants made her look extremely sexy, allowing London to get a good look to Maddie's curves. It had been one heck of a transformation but it was not because of the clothes, it was something inside her, that made Maddie irradiate a special glow.   
  
"You're so beautiful in those clothes, Blondie. I'm getting hot just from looking at you… Girl, you stole my heart, twice." –London told her.   
  
"Thank you. And you're right, I look extremely beautiful these clothes." –Maddie declared, as she looked herself in the mirror on the wall. –"Its times like these that I wished I could buy clothes like these, everyday."  
  
"Well, from now on, you can, baby." –London said, as she wrapped her arms around Maddie's shoulders, and nibbled her neck. –"Being my girlfriend, has its advantages. From this moment on, you have full access to all my accounts. I'll call the bank tomorrow, and tell them to send you your own cards."  
  
"London, I can't accept that! It's your money, not mine." –Maddie told her.  
  
"Sure you can, Maddie. If we're going to be a couple, we'll have to share things. We'll share everything, clothes, shoes, bank accounts, not to mention the bed." –London giggled, with a naughty look in her eyes. –"Come on, Maddie, see this as a preview to what will one day be our life, when we are married." –London blinked her eyes.  
  
"Oh… okay, if you want to, then, I'll accept it, but believe me, when I say that I'm not going to start spending money like a lunatic, just because I'll have access to your accounts." –Maddie said, as she gently placed her hands on the Asian beauty's face, caressing her cheeks, and then, giving her a little kiss. –"And let's get one thing straight, I'll keep working at the candy-counter like always, and I'll still get paid for doing that… the last thing I want is for my parents to find out that I stopped working because I'm dating you."  
  
"Consider it done, baby. Your parents will never suspect a thing, as far as I'm concerned. Now, come on, help me out picking something pretty for me to wear today." –London purred to the blonde's ear, as she liked her earlobe.             
  
Maddie quickly chose a beautiful pair of baby-blue Capri pants with navy-blue stars stamped on them, a black cetin long-sleeved shirt, and a baby-blue cardigan. To complete the outfit, she chose for London a pair of baby-heels from the same colour as the pants and the cardigan. As London finished dressing herself, she noticed that once again, she was shorter than Maddie.   
  
"Maybe I should be the one wearing those go-go boots, Blondie. You're still taller than me." –London smiled.   
  
"Well, next time I'll be sure to choose something for you to wear, that will make you taller than me." –Maddie smiled back at her. –"So, shall we go?"  
  
"Oh, yeah! You won't even believe what I've got prepared for you, baby." –London purred to the blonde's ear, as she pulled her into a huge kiss.  
  
When they entered the elevator, Maddie began to sing. She was so happy, that she felt that the only way to show it to London was to sing her a song.  
  
"This one is just for you… (kiss)… London, because with all these…(kiss)… kisses, you girl, give love… (kiss)… a really bad name." –Maddie said, as she began to sing.  
  
 _Shot through the heart and you're to blame_  
 _Darlin' you give love a bad name_  
  
 _An angel's smile is what you sell_  
 _You promise me heaven then put me through hell_  
 _Chains of love got a hold on me_  
 _When passion's a prison you can't break free_  
  
Then, it was London who decided to join Maddie, singing on top of her lungs. As Maddie heard her, she admitted that she had misjudged London when she heard her singing for the first time. She had a terrific voice, and that song proved that.    
  
 _Oh! You're a loaded gun, yeah_  
 _Oh! There's nowhere to run_  
 _No one can save me_  
 _The damage is done_  
  
 _Shot through the heart and you're to blame_  
 _You give love a bad name_  
 _(Bad name)_  
 _I play my part and you play your game_  
 _You give love a bad name_  
 _(Bad name)_  
 _Hey, you give love a bad name_  
  
 _Paint your smile on your lips_  
 _Blood red nails on your fingertips_  
 _A school boy's dream, you act so shy_  
 _Your very first kiss was your first kiss goodbye_  
  
 _Whoa! You're a loaded gun_  
 _Whoa! There's nowhere to run_  
 _No one can save me_  
 _The damage is done_  
  
 _Shot through the heart and you're to blame_  
 _You give love a bad name_  
 _(Bad name)_  
 _I play my part and you play your game_  
 _You give love a bad name_  
 _(Bad name)_  
 _You give love, oh!_  
  
They went on singing, as the elevator descended. That tiny space was their private karaoke club, and they were enjoying it to the max.    
  
 _Oh! Shot through the heart and you're to blame_  
 _You give love a bad name_  
 _I play my part and you play your game_  
 _You give love a bad name_  
 _(Bad name)_  
  
 _Shot through the heart and you're to blame_  
 _You give love a bad name_  
 _(Bad name)_  
 _I play my part and you play your game_  
 _You give love a bad name_  
 _(Bad name)_  
  
 _You give love_  
 _You give love_  
 _(Bad name)_  
 _You give love_  
 _You give love_  
 _(Bad name)_  
  
 _You give love_  
 _You give love_  
 _(Bad name)_  
 _You give love_  
 _You give love_  
  
When the elevator stopped, and the doors opened, they were breathing hard, trying to catch their breath after that singing session.  
  
"Phew, I can't even remember when it was the last time I sang like that." –London declared.  
  
"Me neither. I don't know what you've got in stored for me, but after this, I just hope it's something calm and relaxing." –Maddie told London. –"Still, something tells me that it's something that only you would think about. Can't you give me a clue of what it is?"  
  
"Well, let's just say that I decided to do this while I ordered breakfast, and well, since the only person I know who does it was in town for a convention this week, I called her and she said that she would be willing to do it, right here at the hotel." –London declared. –"And I won't say another word about it, Blondie. You'll just have to wait to see what it is."  
  
London guided Maddie through the corridors to where London had a surprise waiting for them. Finally, they arrived. The blonde noticed the number on the door; room 1254. The brunette gently opened the door and entered, followed by Maddie. As soon as they entered the room, Maddie saw that this one had been recently remodelled to look like a beauty salon and a spa. The walls were pearl white, as well as the ceiling, while the floor was done in navy blue tiles so polished one could see their reflection in them. Leaned against one of the walls, was a tall woman. Her black straight hair fused itself with the black top she was wearing. Her arms were covered in multiple tattoos, some of them colourful, while others were just black and white. Tattoos of all kinds, but every single one of them, pretty in their own style. In fact, the prettiest of them all was a tattoo on the left side of her face, which was composed of a group of tiny little stars. Maddie knew the woman from somewhere, but she did not know from where.   
  
"Maddie, my I present to you, my good friend and personal tattoo artist, Kat Von D." –London said, as the woman approached them. –"Thanks for coming on such short notice, Kat."  
  
"That's alright, L.T., it was my pleasure. So this is your friend, Madeline? Pleasure to meet you, sweetie." –Kat said, as she gave Maddie a hug.   
  
"The pleasure is all mine. I knew I recognized you from somewhere." –Maddie said, returning the hug. –"But, if you're here, then… London, are we going to get tattoos?!" –Maddie asked her, a little shocked by the idea.   
  
"Oh, don't be like that, Maddie. Don't tell me that you never wanted to get a tattoo?!" –London asked her.   
  
"Sure I have, but if I do a tattoo, my parents will kick me out of the house!" –Maddie replied.   
  
"Don't worry, it's a special kind of a tattoo, Maddie." –London told her, as she turned to Kat. –"Should I explain to her, or should you do it?"  
  
"Hmmm… Maybe you should, while I prepare things. That is, if you're still sure you want to do one." –Kat said.   
  
"Sure I'm sure, Kat. You go on preparing everything, while I explain to Maddie everything." –London told her.  
  
"Okay, I'll be on the other room if you girls need me."  
  
As Kat went to the other room, London turned her attention once again to Maddie.   
  
"Look, Maddie, the kind of tattoo that I was planning for you and I to get, is a special kind of tattoo."  
  
"What do you mean by special?" –Maddie asked her, suspicious about that.   
  
"What would you say that I have multiple tattoos all over my body?" –London asked her.   
  
"I would say that you're either lying to me, or that you're nuts." –Maddie mocked her, making her giggle. –"Come on, London, I saw you completely naked, and you don't have a single tattoo in your body."  
  
"That's what you think, sister. Turn off the lights, and press that blue button on the wall, over there." –London ordered her, as she started to take off her clothes, leaving her with nothing on, except for her underwear.   
  
Maddie did as she was asked, and when she pushed the blue button, the whole room was flooded with ultraviolet light, making the walls and the ceiling glow, and she was completely caught by surprise by the sight of London's body. All over her body, she had multiple tattoos that glowed when her skin was exposed to that kind of light. She had a couple of tribal tattoos that started on her thighs that went to her ankles. She had her name tattooed on her back in a stylized kind of letter, and on her middle section, she had a Yin-Yang symbol.   
  
"I told you I wasn't lying or kidding with you, Blondie." –London said as she stretched her arms. –"So, what do you think of them?"  
  
"How's that even possible?" –Maddie said, almost speechless.   
  
"It's a new kind of tattoo that the Japanese created about a year ago. I was in Tokyo, when I heard about it and I decided to try it on. It's a little painful; I admit it, but the result, totally worth the pain." –the brunette explained her. –"When I found out that Kat is the only tattoo artist in the country that knows how to work with these inks, I hired her to do this to me."  
  
"I don't know what to say… it's beautiful. You look like a firefly." –Maddie declared, making London blush lightly. –"But, how on earth is that even possible?"    
  
"The ink only shows up when exposed to UV light, which is great, because you can get a normal tattoo over these, and not worry about them being mixed." –London explained her, as she turned off the UV light, and turned on the normal lights. –"And well, today I'm going to get a new one, and I would be honoured, if you would get one yourself."  
  
"I don't know what to say… I don't even know what I would like to have tattooed on my body." –Maddie said, as she walked up to the Asian-brunette.  
  
"Well, I was thinking about tattooing your name on my left arm." –London told her.  
  
"What?! My full name? But my name is huge, sweetie."  
  
"Not your full name, dummy, just your first and last name, Maddie Fitzpatrick." –London said, as she grabbed Maddie's hand and placed it on her left arm. –"Right here, Blondie. And well, I was hoping that you would also want to get one."  
  
Maddie's mind soon found itself light-years away. Over her life, she had thought about one day getting a tattoo, but never really thought about what that tattoo would be. She started thinking on what kind of tattoo she would like to get, and millions and millions of ideas popped out in her mind. The possibilities were endless, especially because this tattoo would only show up when under a special kind of light. And then, everything became clear as water in Maddie's mind. She knew what tattoo she was going to get.   
  
"Well, since you're going to tattoo my name on your left arm, it's only fair that I tattoo your name on my arm right arm." –Maddie declared. –"What do you say?"  
  
"I don't know why, but it seems that ever since we tell the truth about our feelings to each other, our minds seem to be connected, sweetie." –London said. –"It's a great idea. Since everything is settled, let's go talk with Kat and do this." –she said with her cheerful voice.   
  
"Somebody called my name?" –she asked, as she came out of the room.   
  
"Yap, we did, Kat. Maddie has decided what she's going to do, and so have I." –London declared.  
  
They quickly explained what they wanted to do to Kat, and she showed herself very intrigued about both projects. She said that both Maddie and London had the perfect kind of skin to do what they wanted to do. The only thing left to do was to decide on a couple of details.   
  
"So, what do you girls want to tattoo along with the names? I personally would recommend that you would add something that makes reminds of each other, like an object or a flower." –Kat explained.   
  
"Hmm… well, for me, I guess I want to add a candy and well, a sunflower, to mine, because whenever I think of candy, I remember of Maddie, and well, I know that sunflowers are her favourite flower." –London declared.  
  
"I see, great choice. What about you, Maddie?"  
  
"Well, I'll add a tiara, and an orchid."  
  
"Excellent choice, both of you. Okay, give me a couple of minutes to do drawing, and then we'll get started on it." –Kat said.  
  
It took her about thirty minutes to do the drawings. While they waited, both girls talked about fashion, and tried out all the perfumes that London had ordered for that place. Finally, when Kat finished the drawings, she showed them to the girls, who were both marvelled with what she had come up with. Their names were both done in a beautiful handwriting. She put a couple of candies surrounding Maddie's name, with a beautiful sunflower between both names, and as for London, she put an orchid right between both names, with a little tiara around the "L", and three diamonds surround London's name.   
  
"Okay, girls, who wants to go first?" –Kat asked them, as she put on her gloves, and got the machine ready to tattoo one of them.  
  
London looked into Maddie's eyes, and saw that she was a little scared, so she decided to go first. She only asked her to hold her hand, while Kat did her thing. Kat put on a pair of special goggles, which enabled her to see the ink and the tattoo, even with the normal lights on. As she started, the heiress of the Tipton Hotels felt as if she had been stung by a bee or a wasp, as the needle started to move, injecting the ink in her skin. After a while, she stopped feeling the pain, as her arm became dormant. She focused on Maddie's pearly-white smile, and beautiful eyes, trying to forget everything. Occasionally, Maddie would whisper something to her ear, trying to make her feel a little more comfortable. She even kissed her once. The minutes turned into almost two hours, when Kat finally finished it.   
  
"It's finished, London. Take a look in the mirror." –She said, as she went to turn off the lights, and switched them for the UV lights.   
  
"OH MY GOD!!! It's beautiful! It's even more beautiful than I've ever imagined. Thanks, Kat!" –She quickly wrapped her arms around Kat, only to be stopped by the pain that she felt where she had done the tattoo.   
  
"Don't worry about it. You'll be able to move your arm freely in a couple of hours. One of the good things about this new kind of tattoo is that it doesn't take long for it to heal." –Kat explained to Maddie. –"So, are you ready, Maddie?"  
  
Maddie nodded shyly with her head, as she took her place in the chair. She took a deep breath, and signalled Kat that she was ready. When the needle punctured her skin for the very first time, the pain was so great that Maddie just wanted to jump out of the chair and forget about all that. The buzzing from the machine also bothered her, creating a sense of insecurity inside her. It took all her courage not to yell, or complain about what she was feeling. London looked her love in the eyes, and knew that she was suffering, but she knew that in the end, she would love the result.   
  
"Easy, Blondie, easy… It will stop hurting in a minute or two, you'll see." –London whispered to her ear, as she caressed her face, giving her a big kiss on her right cheek.  
  
Those words of encouragement gave Maddie the courage and the bravery to withstand the pain that she was feeling. And just as London told her, gradually, the pain started to disappear. Soon, her arm was so dormant that if they punched it, she would not feel a thing. After almost two hours, Kat finished Maddie's tattoo, and with a smile on her face she said:  
  
"Well, it's done. Sorry if it was a painful, but you'll see that the result was worth it." –Kat said, as Maddie went to the mirror to take a look at her new tattoo.   
  
When the lights went off, and the UV lights turned on, Maddie almost cried as she gazed into the beauty that it was her tattoo. She had seen how it looked like in the paper, but now that she had it, covering her arm, it looked almost magical. In the end, a few tears ran down her face.   
  
"It's magnificent… it's more than that. It's a masterpiece, Kat." –Maddie said, as she hugged her. –"I'll never forget this."  
  
"It was my pleasure, sweetie, and I'm happy that you loved the final result." –Kat said. –"Well, I guess I better get going back to the convention, or people will start asking where I got myself into." –she chuckled. –"As for the payment, we'll talk about it one of these days, London. You two better get some rest, and try not to move your arms for the next couple of hours."  
  
And with that, Kat grabbed her things and her purse, and exited through the door, leaving Maddie and London alone. They both decided to just lie down on the two beds that were on the opposite side of the room, trying to relax a little.   
  
"Let's sleep a little. We still have a couple of hours before we have to get down there to see what surprise Moseby is preparing for us." –London said, as she looked at her watch.   
  
"Okay, wake me up when it's time, Princess." –Maddie said sweetly, as she closed her eyes.   
  
"I will, Blondie, don't worry." –London stated, as she also closed her eyes. –"Sleep tight, and don't let the bad bugs bite you." –the brunette said, mimicking Maddie during their last sleepover.


	15. Moseby's Surprise

They both fell asleep, listening to each other's heartbeat. London had a strange dream, where she saw herself in the middle of the ocean, with nothing around her, except water. Then, Maddie appeared from beneath the waves, smiling at her, with her long blonde hair of hers covering her naked breasts. The brunette looked at her, smiling tenderly, when she noticed that Maddie had a fish-tail instead of legs, making her a mermaid. London asked her how that was possible, and Maddie did one simple thing. She approached her, always smiling, and whispered something to her ear. London would then also start to change into a mermaid, and then they would dive, holding hands. Finally, they would share a tender kiss.    
  
As for Maddie, she also had a crazy dream. She dreamed that she was on the middle of a forest, running from something or someone that was coming after her, when London came out of nowhere, and told her that whatever it was that was after the blonde, she would protect her. Then, suddenly, a huge bear appeared; it was him that had been chasing Maddie. London grabbed a bottle she had with her and drank a sip of whatever it was inside it, and all of a sudden, the wind started to blow, and dark clouds appeared, clouding the sky. London said a couple of words, in a language that Maddie did not understand and a lightning ray killed the huge bear, vaporizing it. After that, the Sun shun once again in the sky, and London turned to Maddie, grabbing her hand, and both walked into the forest, not afraid of whatever might cross their path.   
  
Finally, they both appeared. Maddie gave a great yawn, as she stretched her arms. London also did the same, arching her back, trying to get rid of the amount of laziness that invaded her body, during her sleep. London blinked her eyes a couple of times, as she looked at Maddie, who was smiling at her.   
  
"Mmmm… that felt so good, Blondie." –London declared, as she stretched her arms, then wrapping them around Maddie's waist, pulling the blonde to her.   
  
"I'll say, Princess. I never thought that I would sleep so well, having you by my side, touching me." –Maddie said, as she planted a small peck on London's lips.   
  
"So, tell me, how's your arm? Does it hurt, or you're feeling some kind of pain?" –London asked Maddie, as she returned the small peck on the lips, by also giving her one.  
  
"As a matter of fact, I'm not feeling a thing. I never thought that my arm would heal this fast, you know?" –Maddie stated, as she moved her arm a little, noticing that it did not hurt her when she moved it.   
  
"I told you that these tattoos were special." –London said, as she yawned. –"Man, I was really needing that nap."  
  
"Me too… What time is it?"  
  
"Hmmm… let's see…" –London said, as she grabbed her cell phone. –"Oh, God, it's almost 6 o'clock! Moseby and the rest of the gang are expecting us. Come on, Maddie, we got to go!" –she exclaimed, as she began to dress.   
  
Both of them got dressed in a matter of minutes. They look to each other, trying to see if the other was presentable.   
  
"So, how do I look? Tell me the truth, Maddie." –London asked her, as she put on her shoes.   
  
"Duh, what do you think?! You're London Tipton, London; you're always perfect, even with your hair being a mess." –Maddie told her.           
  
"What?! My hair is a mess?! Oh no, no, no, no, no… I can't go out in public if my hair is a mess!" –London freaked out, as she looked for a mirror, when she head Maddie laughing like crazy. –"What's so funny?!"  
  
"You, that's what! Your hair is perfect; I was just messing with you, London." –Maddie kept laughing.  
  
"You're so mean, Blondie!!! Just for that, I'm not going to kiss you for the rest of the month!" –London declared, as she crossed her arms, in her usual sulking pose. Seeing that, Maddie stopped laughing, and approached her. Still giggling a little, from that little prank, the blonde put her hand on London's shoulder and said:  
  
"I'm sorry, Princess… I just couldn't help myself. I know it was childish, but you know how I am… Come on… don't be mad at me, please…" –Maddie begged her, pouting, while making sad puppy eyes.  
  
London tried to ignore her girlfriend's attempts to convince her to forgive her, but it was no use. The more she tried to ignore those attempts, the harder it was. The Asian girl loved Maddie too much to be upset with her. Little by little, a smile appeared on London's face, showing that she was not upset with Maddie anymore, and that everything was alright. And to prove that, she uncrossed her arms, wrapping them around Maddie's neck and kissing her softly.                                                  
  
"Whoa… did we just make up?" –Maddie asked innocently, even though you could see a devilish grin on her face.  
  
"I guess we did. I hope our ruffles and arguments all end up like this." –London said, as she planted another big kiss on Maddie's luscious lips.  
  
"You know… we could stay here, just the two of us, the rest of the day, telling how much we love each other." –the blonde suggested, her voice revealing a little bit of lust in her intentions.   
  
"Yeah, we could… but then, we would probably have everyone in the hotel looking for us, and that would be embarrassing." –London said. –"Come on, Blondie, let's get to the lobby and head to the ball room. I want to see what Moseby is really up to.  
  
Heading down the elevator, the girls quickly reached the lobby. As the doors opened, they both felt something was wrong. There was no one in sight. The lobby looked like a ghost town. With the exception of the noise caused by the traffic in the street, there was not a single noise in the air.   
  
"Where is everyone?" –Maddie asked.  
  
"I don't know… but this is creeping me out, Maddie." –London said, as she put her arms around Maddie, quivering in fear. –"There's no one around, and I somehow feel that we're being watched, just like in the episodes from that old spooky TV show called Phantom Street, or something of the kind…"  
  
"You mean the Twilight Zone or the Outer Limits, London." –Maddie sighed.  
  
"Oh, yeah, those… A-Are you sure we haven't, by any chance, been transported into one of the crazy worlds that they showed in those shows?"  
  
Hearing that, Maddie chuckled, as her fingers gently caressed London's cheeks, making her giggle a little.  
  
"Don't be silly, London, those were only TV shows, and if we were in one of them, by now we would have heard the voice of that spooky narrator saying "There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call The Twilight Zone", or "You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination — Next stop, the Twilight Zone.", and I'm not hearing anything that sounds even a little bit like that.  –Maddie assured her.  
  
"Well, if you say so… Still, where is everyone?" –London asked once again, when she heard something. –"Tell me that I'm not the only one who heard that…"  
  
The blonde stopped for a second, and listened. It was definitely not London's imagination, because she also heard it.  
  
"Nope, you're not the only hearing it. I'm also hearing it… it looked like someone dropped something, and it came from there." –she pointed to the ballroom. –"How much do you want bet that it's got something to do with the surprise Moseby's did for us?"  
  
"Hmmm… how about a million dollars?" –London said deadpanned.   
  
"Sweetie, I don't have that much in my purse…" –Maddie joked with London. –"But, would you consider accepting all the smooches I can give you in an hour, in exchange for that million?" –she asked her girlfriend, with a friendly smile.  
  
"Mmmm… I don't know. I usually don't do that, but since it's for you…Okay!" –London said, while putting her arm around Maddie's waist. –"Now, come on, let's go and see what is waiting for us behind door number one."      
  
As they approached the ballroom, they tried to keep as quiet as possible, so they walked on their tiptoes. They stopped right in front of the door, and heard someone inside. Maddie placed he left ear against the massive wooden door, and tried to hear what was going on inside. The only thing she heard at first was nothing but silence, but then, she heard someone whispering, and knew there was something fishy going on. Turning her head to London, she whispered to her ear:  
  
"There a bunch of people inside, and they are up to something, Princess." –Maddie said. –"I can hear Zack whispering something to someone… I think he dropped something on the floor."   
  
"Well, what would you say if we surprised them, by making a big entrance?" –London suggested.   
  
"And how would a big entrance would be?" –Maddie asked her.   
  
"Like this…" –London said, as she grabbed Maddie by her wrist and whispered something to her ear.   
  
Inside the ballroom, the Martin twins, her mother, Mark and his dad, as well as the rest of the hotel staff were trying not to make a sound. Zack had accidently dropped a vase a couple of seconds before, and Mr. Moseby had lectured him so he would be more careful next time.   
  
"How much time will we have to wait?!" –Zack asked Cody. –"It's bad enough we have to be in the dark, but we also have to wait for those two to show up."  
  
"Like Confucius said: Patience is virtue." –Cody said.   
  
"Well, that Confucius guy must have said that because he was always confused, and so he would need to have limitless patience." –Zack shot back at his brother.   
  
"You can be such an ignorant, sometimes…" –Cody said.   
  
"You two better be quiet, or you'll be deprived of ice-cream for the rest of the month!" –Carrie hushed at them.   
  
"But mom, I'm tired of being in the dark!" –Zack whispered.   
  
"I know you are, but we have to be in the dark for when Maddie and London walk through that door." –Carrie said.   
  
That's when the double door opened gently, letting a bit of light in the ballroom. When finally the door opened, they all saw Maddie and London doing the same pose as Charlie's Angels, only they were just two, and there was a song in the air, which came from London's MP3 and that she was carrying in her pocket. Everyone recognized it immediately as being "It's a Kind of Magic" from Queen. Showing that they were not afraid of anything, both girls started to sing it.          
  
 _It's a kind of magic_  
 _It's a kind of magic_  
  
 _A kind of magic_  
  
 _One dream one soul, one prize_  
 _One goal, one golden glance of what should be_  
 _It's a kind of magic_  
  
 _Then, Carrie joined them, as well as the rest of the people who were there._  
  
 _One shaft of light that shows the way_  
 _No mortal man can win this day_  
 _It's a kind of magic_  
  
 _The bell that rings inside your mind_  
 _Is challenging the doors of time_  
 _It's a kind of magic_  
  
 _The waiting seems eternity_  
 _The day will dawn of sanity_  
 _Is this a kind of magic?_  
  
 _It's a kind of magic_  
  
 _There can be only one_  
 _This rage that lasts a thousand years_  
 _Will soon be done_  
 _This flame that burns inside of me_  
 _I'm here in secret harmonies_  
  
As they reached the end of the song, everyone tried their best not to get the lyrics wrong. Everyone cheered when Zack and Arwin began to play the air guitar, because it contributed to the illusion of them all being in a rock concert.   
  
_It's a kind of magic_  
  
 _The bell that rings inside your mind_  
 _Is challenging the doors of time_  
  
 _It's a kind of magic_  
 _It's a kind of magic_  
  
 _This rage that lasts a thousand years_  
 _Will soon be, will soon be_  
 _Will soon be done_  
  
 _This is a kind of magic_  
  
 _There can be only one_  
 _This rage that lasts a thousand years_  
 _Will soon be done_  
 _Magic – it's a kind of magic_  
 _It's a kind of magic_  
  
 _Magic, magic, magic, magic_  
 _It's magic_  
 _It's a kind of magic_  
  
As the song ended, everyone clapped their hands. Seeing this, both Maddie and London took a bow, to which everyone cheered even harder than before. Smiling and clapping his hands, Mr. Moseby walked right next to them and said:  
  
"Bravo, girls, bravo!"   
  
"Thanks, Moseby." –London said.   
  
"Hope we did not steal your spotlight, or the spotlight of your surprise, Mr. Moseby, but Princess here wanted to make a great entrance." –Maddie said, while winking her eye to London.   
  
"Oh, not to worry… In fact, I think that my surprise even appreciated this little act of yours, my dears." –Moseby said.   
  
"What do you mean, it appreciated out little act?" –London asked him, not entirely understanding what he was talking about.   
  
"He's talking about me, sweetie!" –a voice was heard from the middle of crowd… a voice which both Maddie and London knew very well.  
  
Wearing a white Armani suit, and white stilettos, was a woman they both knew. She had her arms fully opened and a huge smile on her face. When they saw her, London had a smile from ear-to-ear, and the same thing could be said about Maddie.   
  
"Brandi!" –London exclaimed, seeing her 5th stepmother. –"But how did you…"  
  
"Marion knew that I was in town and told me everything about it. And well, even though I'm not married to your father anymore, being your friend, I had to come and congratulate you and Maddie."  
  
"But… aren't you bothered about, well, you now…" –London asked her.   
  
"About your relationship? Sweetie, if you and Maddie are happy together, than I'm happy for both of you. Besides, let me just say that you both have great taste… you really do make a cute couple." –she said, while giving them both a hug. –"Now come on, I want you two to tell me everything, from the start. I want to know how you girls fell in love with each other.   
  
The party went on. Zack and Cody were now dancing. Cody was dancing with Barbara, while Zack was dancing with Max. Mark and his dad were talking with Moseby, Arwin and Esteban, while Carrie kept singing for everyone. At the same time, London and Maddie were telling everything to Brandi, who was really excited.   
  
"So, they organized everything right here, last night, and you told that you were in love with each other, and you kissed while they were singing Elton John's "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?"… That's so romantic…" –Brandi sighed.   
  
"I know… it was perfect, in all aspects." –London sighed too.  
  
"But, tell me, did you do it after that?" –Brandi asked them, making them a little shocked with the question. –"Oh, come on now; don't be ashamed of telling it to me… I won't tell a thing to anyone, and besides, it's only natural, sweeties."  
  
Maddie seeing that London was a little embarrassed by that question, she decided that she would be the one to answer it.  
  
"Yes, we did. And before you ask us, yes, London is phenomenal in bed." –Maddie answered with a playful voice, trying to make London feel more at ease.  
  
"Well, Maddie's also great in bed, just so you know it." –London said with a cheerful voice, while hugging Maddie.   
  
"See? I was right, you two are perfect for each other. You're the opposite of one and another, and that's why I'm sure that everything will work out between you two." –Brandi said cheerfully. –"By the way, Maddie, I know that London didn't tell Wilfred or her mom about this, but what about you, sweetie? Did you tell your family, or at least, to your parents?" –Brandi asked her, already with a more serious voice.   
  
"No, not yet. I'm waiting for the right time." –Maddie answered.  
  
"I see… well, you know that you have to be strong and remember that you have friends who care about you, and a gorgeous girlfriend who loves you very much." –Brandi said.   
  
This last statement made Maddie shed a tear. London grabbed her left hand and smiled. Using her eyes only to tell her that, London reassured Maddie that everything would work out just fine in the end.   
  
"Now, now… no crying, okay? This is a party, and I don't want to see a sad face." –Brandi said. –"What about if I told you the story of how got secretly engaged with your father, London? Believe me, it's really funny and just shows that your father can be really romantic when he wants to…"   
  
That's when an idea surged on London's head. A fantastic idea… You could almost say that it was London's best idea yet, since she and Maddie became girlfriends.   
  
"I just got a great idea!" –London exclaimed. –"But I need everyone to stop doing what they are doing and come over here, it's important."  
  
"Why do I have the feeling that I'm not going to like that?" –Maddie asked her with a sarcastic tone.   
  
"Don't be like that, Maddie… how do you know it's a bad idea, when I haven't even told you about it?" –London asked her.  
  
"Because I recognize that look in your eyes, Princess. Every time you have a crazy idea, your eyes get all sparkly…" –Maddie answered her.   
  
"That's just you telling me that you like the way my eyes look…" –London shot back at her, playfully. –"Now, come on, give me a hand calling everyone, Blondie."  
  
And with a little help from Maddie and Brandi, London managed to gather everyone around them, so she could explain them her idea. When she started to explain it, everyone felt that it was a little farfetched and even crazy, but as the Heiress of the Tipton Empire went on, every single one of them began to accept it, and even began making suggestions. London's idea was quite simple… she wanted to organize a party… an engagement party, or something like that.   
  
"An engagement party? London, don't you think that's too much? I mean, I told you that we would go slowly, and when the time was right, we would proceed to an engagement." –Maddie remembered her.   
  
"It's not an engagement party, Maddie… it's different. I want a party where we will proclaim that we are girlfriends, just that. I want to celebrate it like that, surrounded by our friends here." –London told her. –"In fact, it won't be that big… just a small ceremony, where will wear beautiful long dresses… someone will take us to some sort of altar, we will read some vows that we will write for one another… a huge cake, lots of music…"  
  
"In other words, what you really want is actually a wedding party, without the wedding thing, is that it, London?" –Moseby asked her.   
  
"Yes." –she nodded.   
  
"I'm not liking that… what if someone outside the hotel knows about this?" –Maddie asked.  
  
"Everything will go just fine, Maddie. Moseby and the others will make sure of that." –London told Maddie. –"Please, Maddie, say that you'll do this… for me…" –London begged her, while making sad puppy's eyes.   
  
Not resisting to that look on her face, Maddie imply sighed, and with a little smile on her face, she looked London in the eyes and said.  
  
"Okay… if this is really important for you, I'll do it, London."  
  
"Yay me!!!" –London said, clapping her hands. The rest of the gang could not help but to let out a couple of laughs.   
  
"Very well, if that's settled, we'll have to choose a date for that party." –Moseby said. –"I think we can find a way to do the ball…"  
  
"Tomorrow night!" –London exclaimed.  
  
"T-T-Tomorrow night, London?! B-B-But we have so many things to do… we have to take care of the decoration, choose the menu… I don't think we'll be able to do that on such short notice." –Moseby declared, warning her.   
  
"But Moseby, I want it to be tomorrow… and you can consider lucky that I give you a day to come up with everything." –London told him.   
  
"London, baby, maybe we should do this, like, a week from now…" –Maddie suggested to her.             
  
"She's right, you know? If you want this party to be everything you and Maddie deserve, and I know you do, everyone we'll need time to prepare things." –Mark said.   
  
"I'm with him." –Cody said.   
  
"Me too…" –Zack also said.   
  
"No!!! I want it tomorrow night, and I don't care if you have to stay until late to do this! I want it to be tonight, and that's final!" –she pouted, almost crying.   
  
"O-Okay, London. I'll do my best… we will all do our best to organize a party for tomorrow night, and make it something that you'll never forget, for the rest of your life, sweetie." –Moseby said.   
  
"Great! And one more thing, everyone must come dressed like if they were attending a wedding… so, tuxedos and long dresses to everyone." –she demanded, with a happier voice now. –"As for presents… just you coming will be the present that me and Maddie could get. But if you want to give us something, there's a beautiful diamond necklace in Tiffany's that I would love to have…" –London said, when Mark decided to shut her up, by putting his hand on her mouth.   
  
" _No matter how much in love she is, she'll never change…_ " –Mark thought to himself.  
  
"This going to be a heck of a party, Cody." –Zack told his brother.   
  
"Yeah… it will be. By the way, we need dates for this… do you think Barbara and Max would be willing to go with us, as our dates?" –Cody said, as he looked to Barbara.   
  
"I don't know… but, we could ask them." –Zack said.   
  
Hearing them talking, Carrie just smiled.  
  
" _My little boys… its times like these that make me wish that they would stay like this forever._ "


	16. The Final Countdown

After that little party ended, Maddie told London and the others that she was going back to her house. She did not want to especially because London begged her to stay; but she knew she had to. Even though her father told her that he would call her when things got a little calmer, so she could come home, she knew that it was best for her to go. Still, she promised that she would be back in the next afternoon, so they could both prepare for the party.  
  
"I'll see you in a couple of hours, London… come on, don't cry, baby." –Maddie told her softly, as she ran her fingers through the brunette's face.  
  
"I can't help it… You're part of me now, Maddie. If you go now, I'll wither and die…" –she said, as tears kept falling from her eyes. –"Please, stay here with me…." –London begged her.  
  
"Now, come on, London, you're a big girl. And besides, it's not like Maddie's moving to another country." –Brandi told her, trying to make her stop crying. –"Now, give her a big hug and the biggest kiss you can, and let her go home. She needs to sleep, and so do you, dear."  
  
Doing what she was told to, London kiss Maddie, and gave her a huge hug, while whispering something to her ear.  
  
"I'll be counting the minutes and seconds until I see you tomorrow at school." –London whispered.  
  
"So will I, Princess…" –Maddie said as she gave her one last kiss. –"See you tomorrow, don't let the bed bugs bite."  
  
"Same thing to you, Blondie." –London giggled, as Maddie went through the hotel's rotating doors.  
  
The hours looked like years to both Maddie and London. The heiress went up to her penthouse, to get some well deserved sleep, for it had been an exhausting day to everyone. Still, even though she was dead tired from all that commotion, she could not sleep. She tossed and turned in her bed. Eventually, she tossed her sheets to the floor, feeling that she was not going to be able to sleep that night.  
  
"I can't sleep…" –London sighed. –"I know it's late, but maybe if I call Maddie and talk with her just for a little while, I'll be able to sleep better."  
  
As she reached for her cell phone in her night-table, this one started to ring. The ring tone was "All You Need Is Love" from the Beetles, and that could only mean one thing; it was Maddie who was calling the Asian brunette. She almost jumped out of bed and grabbed it.  
  
"Maddie?" –she asked her, even knowing that it was her.  
  
"Hey, London… I couldn't sleep, so I thought that…" –Maddie said.  
  
"Me neither… this bed looks enormous without you in it. I miss you…" –London sighed, sad about the fact that her love was not there with her.  
  
"I miss you too…" –Maddie sighed. –"I wish I was right next to you, feeling the warmth of your body against mine…" –she said as she imagined the scene.  
  
"Me too… But, tell me, how are things back at your place?" –London asked her, trying to change the theme of the conversation.  
  
"Well, things are a little better. My mother is calmer, and my sister has stopped complaining about her life, so things are a little better." –Maddie told her. –"Everyone's asleep already, and I'm the only one who's still awake… oh, correction, Scampy here is also awake."  
  
"Put him on the speaker, Blondie, I've got someone here who wants to talk with him… Ivanna, come here, precious." –London said, as Ivanna entered her room, hopping into her bed. –"Here, Ivanna, there's someone who wants to talk with you."  
  
Ivanna heard a bark from the other end of the line. Recognizing Scampy's bark, she also barked. Both London and Maddie chuckled, as both their dogs said hello to each other, over the phone.  
  
"I think Scampy misses her, as much as I miss you, you know?"  
  
"Well, why don't you bring him with you tomorrow? I'm sure Ivanna will love to see him again, won't you Ivanna?" –London asked her, to which the white Pomeranian barked. –"See?"  
  
"Okay, I will… still, the minutes look like years, and the hours look like centuries. Time seems to go by really slowly tonight." –Maddie said.  
  
"Well, Einstein has theorized that time is relative… depending on the situation and on the place we are, time seems to go faster or slower." –London declared, explaining it to Maddie.  
  
"Whoa, theorizing Einstein at 1 am, now that's something… You really are smarter than you look, Princess." –Maddie joked.  
  
"Well, you know that when I want to I can be really smart…" –London giggled a little.  
  
"Yeah, I know, and that's why I love you with all my heart." –Maddie sighed. –"I wish I was in that big bed of yours, snuggling in with you."  
  
"Me too… I can only imagine the amount of kinky things we could do together."  
  
"Like what for example?" –Maddie asked her with a sexy voice.  
  
"I think that if you were here with me, right now, I would start nibbling your neck, and then I would start to go down, very gently and very slowly, licking those beautiful boobs of yours…" –London whispered with a very sexy and smooth voice. –"After that, I would pinch your nipples, making you moan. After that, I would coup your boobs with my hands, and gently, I would start to squeeze them, while I kissed your back…"  
  
"Please, Princess, don't say that, I'm getting all wet just from hearing you…" –Maddie said, as she became wetter and wetter between her legs.  
  
"Is that so?" –London asked her a naughty voice. –"I wonder if I can make you cum just by listening to me, teasing you over the phone? Do you think I could do that, Blondie?" –she asked her, pronouncing Maddie's name with a sweet gentleness, as if she was caressing her with her hands.  
  
"London… please, stop it or you're going to make me cum over the phone, and you know that when I cum I yell, and I don't want my mom to hear it, okay?"  
  
"Okay, I'll stop, if you promise me that you'll come back to the hotel as soon as you can."  
  
"I promise, I promise, sweetie… I'll go back to the hotel as soon as I can, and I'll let you do everything you want to me." –Maddie said.  
  
"Serious?"  
  
"Cross my heart and hope to die, if I'm lying to you." –Maddie answered her with a more serene voice this time.  
  
"Yay me!" –London yelled her famous catchphrase, making Maddie laugh on the other side of the line.  
  
"I see that you're happy… now, I'll see you tomorrow, my beautiful orchid." –Maddie said. –"Goodnight, London."  
  
"Good night to you too, my sparkling diamond…" –London whispered to her, as she ended the call.  
  
After that phone call, both girls felt so much better. As soon as they closed their eyes, they went straight to dreamland. And of course, it was no surprise the fact of each one dream about the other. Both had sweet, yet kinky dreams about one another. The night they thought would never end, soon was over, as the sun rose over Boston. It was Monday, and even though most people do not like to wake up in the morning to go to their works, Maddie had a special reason to get up that morning… she was going to see London in school.  
  
As the alarmed clock went off, Maddie slowly opened her eyes and saw that it was morning already. She gave a great yawn, while stretching her arms. After getting ready, she went to the kitchen where she saw her parents and her brother and sister having breakfast. All of them noticed that there was something different about her that morning… she had a huge smile stamped in her face. Usually, Maddie was always grumpy in the morning and wasn't capable of smiling, no matter what anyone would tell her. But on that morning, she was smiling.  
  
"Maddie, are you alright dear?" –Her mom, Miranda, asked her.  
  
"Yeah, everything's fine, mom, why do you ask?" –Maddie answered her with an unusual perky voice, while eating her usual bowl of cereal.  
  
"Oh, nothing dear, it's just that, it's very rare to see you smiling like that early in the morning." –Miranda declared.  
  
"There has to be a reason for Madeline to be that happy." –Her sister, Genevieve, also known as Genny stated.  
  
"Oh come on now, can't I just be happy for once? You're always telling me that I'm always grouchy in the morning, and today, I'm happy and you think that something's going on." –Maddie protested, defensively.  
  
"She's right. Come on, let her alone, if she's happy today, just stop asking her why… is far as I know, we don't need to ask why someone is happy right ion the morning." –her father said. –"Go on, sweetie, hurry up or you will be late for school."  
  
Maddie finished her bowl of cereal, said goodbye to everyone and left for school. With her was Scampy, her dog. Just like she had promised London, she was taking Scampy with her, so he could see Ivanna. As she walked to school, she thought to herself how great that day would be. The Sun was shining, the birds were singing, the sky was as blue as you can get; all in all, the kind of day that was described as the perfect day in one of the many novels that she and London read for school. Even if it was a bit corny, she liked that.  
  
Lucky for her, she and London, as well as Zack, Cody and Mark, only had classes until lunch, so she would have plenty of time to get ready for the party that Moseby and rest of the hotel staff were organizing, but most importantly, she would have more than enough time to be with London.  
  
When she was only a couple of blocks from school, she grabbed Scampy and carried him over the rest of the way. At the school entrance were Zack and Cody talking with Barbara and Max, as well as Mark, who was talking to his cell phone.  
  
"Yeah, right… yeah… yeah… okay then, I'll see you guys tonight." –Mark said, as he finished the call. –"Oh, hey there, Maddie!"  
  
"Hello, Maddie!" –Cody waved at her.  
  
"Hey there, sweet thang!" –Zack flirted with her.  
  
"Hi there, guys… as for you Zack, call me in 10 years, if I ever get tired of you know who." –Maddie joked with him, referring to London. –"By the way, do you know if she has arrived yet?"  
  
"No, not yet." –Barbara said. –"But if she doesn't hurry, she'll miss the first subject."  
  
"Looks like she won't miss it… here she comes!" –Zack said, pointing to a black limousine that was cornering the corner of the street.  
  
Everyone recognized it as being the limousine that London used to go everywhere. They all knew that it was a bit strange of her having a driver's license, but not using it. When the limousine stopped, London's driver exited and came to open her door. She smiled at everyone, as she exited the limo. On her hands, she was carrying Ivanna, who barked as soon as she saw Scampy, who was still on Maddie's hands. This one barked back. Maddie and London trade a couple of eye looks, trying to pretend that everything was alright and completely normal.  
  
"Hey, Maddie!" –London exclaimed. –"I see you brought Scampy with you."  
  
"Hey, London. Yeah, I brought him with me." –Maddie answered back.  
  
"Hold on, Ivanna… She really wants to play with Scampy, it seems. Take them for a ride around the park, and be sure to pick me up after school, okay?" –London asked her driver, as he grabbed Ivanna and Scampy.  
  
"Yes, Miss Tipton." –he answered her.  
  
London blinked an eye to Maddie, smiling, and Maddie did the same, as the whole group entered in the school building. Feeling the urge to spend a couple of minutes alone, they both gave hands and told everyone that they needed to go to their lockers to pick up their books. Heading to the nearest rest room, they entered, and made sure that no one was inside, before locking the door. After locking it, Maddie jumped onto London's arms and kissed her. Both their tongues played inside their mouths. It was as if they had not kiss in years.  
  
"Oh, London, you can't even imagine… (kiss)… how hard it was for me not to jump onto your arms… (kiss)… as soon as you got out of the limo…" –Maddie said, as she hugged her.  
  
"Sure I can… (kiss)… because I also wanted to do the same… (kiss)… Blondie." –London said, as she kept kissing her lover. –"I felt so alone tonight in that big, fluffy bed of mine…"  
  
"Me too… I also felt alone tonight in my bed. But… (kiss)… now that you're here, we can… (kiss)… make up for the lost time." –Maddie said.  
  
"I know. Why do you think… (kiss)… I'm not wearing panties today?" –London asked Maddie with a mischievous smile on her face.  
  
"Y-You're not wearing panties?" –Maddie asked her, also with a naughty smile on her face.  
  
"Why don't you check it for yourself, girlfriend?" –London dared her, as she pulled up her skirt, revealing that was really not wearing anything beneath her skirt.  
  
London was really telling the truth, she was not wearing panties that morning. Imagining what her girlfriend had in mind, Maddie quickly kneeled, and gently began to lick London's centre, increasing her speed. The heiress quickly started to moan silently. She wanted to scream, and almost did when Maddie grasped her ass cheeks and began to massage them. Still, she knew that it was imperative that their relation continued to be a secret from everyone, except their most intimate friends, so she used all her will power not to scream. After a few minutes, she came in Maddie's face, sprinkling her with her love juices. The blonde smiled when that happened, and she kept that smile on her face, as she looked up to see London panting, with her face as red as a bead.  
  
"T-Thanks, Maddie… I really needed that." –London sighed, panting.  
  
"You're welcome, London… now it's your turn to do it to me. Come on, hurry, or else we'll be late for class." –Maddie said.  
  
"Can't we just skip class, and stay here until it's time to go back to the hotel?" –London begged her.  
  
"Sorry, but you know that I have a perfect score when t comes to attending classes, and I'm not going to screw that up… well, I might do that, if we were making out in a more romantic place." –Maddie answered her.  
  
"Yeah, the school's rest room isn't the most romantic place in the world… now come on, unbutton those jeans and pull down those panties, Maddie. It's time for me to make you feel good." –London ordered her, as Maddie did what she ordered her.  
  
It did not take much time for London to make Maddie feel on cloud nine. The blonde felt that London was becoming an expert in that kind of things. Her tongue moved slowly around her labia, only to move as fast as lightning to her centre, licking it as if she was licking a lollypop. Maddie came herself as London pinched her centre with her fingers, while licking her crotch. No doubt that she needed that; it was the only thing that she thought, as the orgasm invaded her whole body.  
  
"London… thank you… But next time, don't be so gentle." –Maddie said, as she tried to regain her breath.  
  
"Save those comments for our bondage sessions, Blondie." –London teased her, as she licked Maddie's juices that were slowly dripping from her pussy, and sliding down her leg.  
  
"You can be so naughty, when you want to know, you know that?" –Maddie giggled, making London also giggle.  
  
After freshen themselves up, and making sure that their faces were not red as beads, both girls unlocked the door and exited the rest room, as if noting had ever happened. The only witnesses of what had happened were the tiles of the girl's rest room, and for that, both Maddie and London thank God.  
  
It was a bit hard for both of them to stay focused on class, and it was thanks to Mark, who was on their class, who kept calling them back to reality. If not, they would have kept just sighing and looking to each other.  
  
"Would you girls care to pay a little attention?" –Mark said with a grit in his teeth. -"The teacher is going to caught you, if you don't."  
  
"We're not doing anything." –Maddie protested.  
  
"Except for the fact that you're giving hands beneath the table… Not to mention the fact, that you're always blinking an eye to each other… people will get suspicious." –he warned them.  
  
These warnings from Mark went on for the rest of the class, but both Maddie and London were too focused on one another to even notice that. Every chance they had, they would sneak into recondite place in the school, just to swap a few smooches. Mark, Zack and Cody were always behind them, as if they were bodyguards, in an attempt to make sure that they would not get caught… God knows what would happen if anyone in school found out that the two girls were dating each other.  
  
"Man, those two are fast runners…" –Zack said as he tried to catch his breath. –"At this rate, we'll never be able to keep an eye on them.  
  
"At least, they chose the rooftop to be alone… can you imagine if they had chose another place?" –Mark said, as he sat in the stairs that gave access to the rooftop. –"By the way, where's you brother?"  
  
"Over here…" –Cody said, as he used all of his strength to climb the last few steps. –"These stairs are killers, and I mean the worst possible way." –he said, as he took a deep breath.  
  
"Only you would be so weak to say that you're tired from climbing the school stairs." –Zack stated.  
  
"Well, pardon me, if I use my brain more often that I use my other muscles… something which you should do too." –Cody shot back a his brother.  
  
"Oh yeah?" –Zack exclaimed.  
  
"Guys, guys, guys… cut that out! We're not here to see you too start a wrestling match; we're here to check out if Maddie and London are not interrupted, and most importantly, to see if no one catches them." –Mark said, trying to end that fight between the twins.  
  
Finally, midday came and just as expected, London's limo was in front of the school, waiting for her and for the others. As soon as the six of them entered, the driver stepped on the gas. Max and Barbara, who had accepted Zack and Cody's invitation for the party, said that they would show up in the hotel a little later. When they arrived, the whole group was received by Moseby, who was waiting for them.  
  
"Is everything ready, Moseby?" –London asked him with her usual spiffy voice.  
  
"Almost, London, almost… there are still some things that need to be taken care of, but all in all, everything is going just fine." –Moseby answered her. –"And, if I may ask, what are you girls going to do until the party starts?"  
  
"Oh, well, we're going to get ready… we both want to be dazzling. Brandi is going to help me get dressed and do my hair, while Carey will help Maddie do those things… But first, we're going to spend a couple of hours, and have some fun." –London told him.  
  
"Okay, then… I'll see you girls later. By the way, you two, your mother told me that she needs to see you; she's in the ballroom, waiting… oh, and Mark, your father needs your help to write the, let's call them "engagement vows"… he's at the restaurant." –Moseby informed them.  
  
"Very well… I'll see you all later, then." –Mark said, as he headed to the hotel's restaurant, where his father was waiting him.  
  
Zack and Cody went to see what her mother wanted, and as for Maddie and London, they went up to London's penthouse. As the elevator went up, the two of them kept kissing each other, and when they got to London's room, they both knew what they wanted; they wanted to feel each other's body against one another. So what did they do? They began to take off each other's clothes, very slowly, while kissing, and after being completely naked, London opened her bed sheets, and both girls got beneath them. After that, the only thing they did was to snug each other, while swapping kisses and smooches. They found out that the feeling of the heat of each other's body was as erotic as having sex… at least, for them is was. Gazing into each other's eyes made them both feel complete… they felt that that was perhaps one of the best moments of their life, and they both just wished that that moment became frozen in time, so they never had to leave each other.  
  
"You're an angel…" –London said, as her fingers ran by Maddie's face.  
  
"No, you're the angel around here, Princess, and I'm so damn lucky to have you in my arms, smiling at me." –Maddie said, returning the affections to London, by giving her a small peck in the lips.  
  
"Well, if you think you're lucky, then I'm extreme lucky to have you here, hugging to me, as my lover, my girlfriend, and of course, as my best friend, and my guardian angel… four different things, assembled in the most perfect girl that I've ever met." –London whispered to Maddie's ear.  
  
At the same time, Steven and Mark were both working on the "engagement vows" for the girls, and it was not being easy. The words were coming, but not the ones that they really wanted. With the minutes slipping through their fingers, they needed to come up with ideas for their work, and fast.  
  
"No, that won't work… It's too melancholic." –Steven stated.  
  
"Then, maybe we should just use the ones that you were working before I arrived." –Mark suggested to his father.  
  
"No, they're too mushy. What we need is something that is interesting, but at the same time romantic and tender." –Steven explained.  
  
The hours passed, but finally, they ended writing the most beautiful vows that any of them had ever read. At the same time, the girls were getting ready for their big moment. Carey went to pick Maddie at the penthouse, so she could help her getting dressed, while Brandi stayed with London in the penthouse. Both girls wanted to stay at the penthouse, getting ready together, but Brandi and Carey thought that it would be best if they did not see each other until the party, because that way they would surprise each other.  
  
After a relaxing bath, London dried herself, and Brandi began doing her hair. The heiress did not know which hairstyle she should use on that occasion, and she started to panic about it. Over the years she had gone to countless parties, and had always known what to wear and what hairstyle she would use on each occasion; but on that moment, she did not know.  
  
"Take it easy, London, we'll think of something." –Brandi told her, trying to calm her down.  
  
"I can't, Brandi, I can't! What if I look prettier than Maddie, and she thinks that I'm trying to look way prettier than her, or…" –London started to freak out.  
  
"Honey, please, she loves you, and I'm sure that you both will be equally beautiful, no matter what happens." –Brandi calmed her down.  
  
At the same time, the same thing was happening in the Martin's suite. Maddie began panicking because she did not know what to wear, and Carey was trying to calm her down in every possible way. In her head, she started to review every date that she had, and came to the conclusion that they had all be meaningless, while compared to what was about to happen that night.  
  
"I don't know what to wear, Carey!" –Maddie exclaimed in panic. –"I should have known that something like this would happen…"  
  
"Calm down, sweetie, everything will be just fine. Just calm down, and take deep breaths." –Carey told her.  
  
"But what if London doesn't like the way I'm dressed? Or what if I happen to look prettier than her, and she thinks that I'm trying to take her spotlight? Or if…" –Maddie started to blab, nervously, clearly not being in full control of her emotions.  
  
"Madeline, sweetie, everything will be just fine." –Carey told her with a soothing voice. –"And besides, if you don't calm down, I won't show you the little surprise that I have for you."  
  
"A surprise?" –Maddie asked her, looking at her just as if she was a little kid on Christmas morning.  
  
"Brandi suggested that you two should wear dresses, different in colour and style, and I agreed with her. That's why I think that you will look dazzling in this dress that we both ordered for you." –Carey said, as she went to her wardrobe and took a golden box with something inside it.  
  
When Maddie opened it, her eyes could not believe what was in front of her. It was an identical copy, of the red and black dress that Kate Winslet wore on Titanic, and that had been nicknamed "The Suicide Dress", on account of the scene where she was wearing it. She kept looking at it, and found that the dress had a couple of differences from the original; it was longer, almost reaching the floor, and instead of being a sleeveless dress, it was a strapless dress. Inside the box was also a pair of red and black stilettos.  
  
"This is beautiful… how did you know that I loved this dress from Titanic?" –Maddie asked Carey, as she looked at the details on the dress.  
  
"Well, we didn't know it… it was the designer who knew about that and suggested it. She worked on it all night so it would be finished by 10 am, and thank God she was in New York City, otherwise it would have been impossible to have it here." –Carey answered.  
  
"A whole night? Now who would be fast enough to come up with this gorgeous dress in just on night?" –Maddie asked, as she checked the label with the name of the designer, when she recognized it. –"Raven Baxter? Raven did this for me?"  
  
"Yes, she did… Brandi remembered that you talked about her, and well, after a couple of phone calls we found out that she was in New York, and we asked her to do that dress for you. In fact, she told us over the phone that if she was in San Francisco at the time, she would have taken the first flight, to deliver the dress herself… She hopes that you like it, and she apologizes for not coming, but she said something about being busy with her brother, who entered in a contest."  
  
"That's okay, I understand. And as for the dress, I don't like it… I adore it! It's the most beautiful dress that I've seen in my life! I was right, when I said that one day she's going to be the biggest fashion designer in the world."  
  
"I see that you're feeling a little more relaxed about everything. Now, shall we start with your hair?" –Carey asked her. –"Believe me, when I'm finished you'll look like a princess, a real princess."  
  
"You bet. I can't wait for tonight to start." –Maddie said, as she placed the dress on top of the bed. –"By the way, where are Cody and Zack? I haven't seen them since we got back from school."  
  
"Oh, I told them to help Arwin, Esteban and rest of the staff with the decoration. Hey should have been back by now… Wonder what's keeping them?" –Carey asked.  
  
Downstairs in the ballroom, Cody and Zack had been helping everyone decorating the place. It had been hard putting everything in its place, but what they have done looked easy to them, especially since they had been instructed by Mark to do a very special task: dress up Scampy in a mini-tuxedo and Ivanna in a mini-bridesmaid dress, all because both dogs were always trying to get them off.  
  
"Come on! I'm so tired of this!" –Zack yelled, frustrated with all that. –"Why do we have to do this?"  
  
"Because mom asked us to help, and because according to Mark, it's part of a special surprise that he has for them." –Cody said.  
  
"Yeah, but when we told mom that we would help out, I didn't think I had to do this… come on Ivanna, don't do this to me!" –Zack exclaimed, as he ran after London's dog, who did not want to be dressed by any of the Martin twins.


	17. The Beginning

It had struck 6 pm, and back at London's penthouse, Brandi was just giving the finishing touches on London's make-up, when someone knocked on the door.  
  
"Hmmm… wonder who is it?" –London asked, as Brandi gave the finishing touches on London's make-up, by applying a little eye shadow on her eyelids.  
  
"I'll go see, you wait here, dear." –Brandi to her.  
  
When she opened the door, it was Mark who was knocking at it. He was not wearing the clothes that wearing a red shirt under a black leather jacket and a pair of black jeans with black shoes, and on his left hand, he was holding an envelope.  
  
"Can I come in? I brought something for London." –Mark said, as he entered. –"London, where are you?"  
  
"I'm over here; give me just a couple of seconds. Brandi, could you come here and help me out with the dress?" –London cried out.  
  
"One moment, sweetie… she's been acting so nervous over the last two hours, you know?" –Brandi whispered to his ears.  
  
"I can imagine how. I just hope she doesn't faint when she sees Maddie." –Mark thought, as he sat on one of the living room couches.  
  
After Brandi went to help London get dressed, a couple of minutes went by, as Mark looked at the time on his watch. At last, he heard London saying with her usual happy and joyful voice:  
  
"Okay, ready or not, here I come!" –London exclaimed, as she entered in the living room.  
  
London stepped out of her room and into the living room, where Mark tried to find the words to describe just how dazzling she looked, but not even he could describe it. There were no words in anyone's vocabulary that could help emphasize the glowing beauty that she irradiated from her. She was wearing an astounding sapphire blue long sleeveless dress, matching high-heels and long white gloves which reached her elbows. Her hair was caught in a splendid ponytail, and she was wearing pearl earrings. As Mark looked at her, she started to blush a little.  
  
"Whoa…" –he said, as he saw how magnificent London was in that dress.  
  
"I'll take that as a "You're very, very, very beautiful, London"…" –London giggled.  
  
"You're not beautiful… you're godly beautiful, that's what you are, girl." –Mark declared. –"You look like a princess… a real princess…"  
  
"Thanks… Brandi did her best to make me look as dazzling as possible. So, what are you doing here?"  
  
"Oh, I just came here to see how you were, and well, to give you this." –he told her, as he gave her the envelope with the vows. –"It took me and my dad an eternity to come up with the right words, but you'll see that you won't be disappointed with what you're going to say to Maddie when the time comes, and neither will her."  
  
"Have you seen her already? Is she beautiful?" –London asked him, eager to find out everything she could about how Maddie looked.  
  
"She looks as beautiful as you look, London. You two are going to be the highlight of this party, whether you like it, or not. From the minute you enter in the ballroom to the moment you will exchange rings with her, everyone's eyes will be on you two… That reminds me, I don't remember hearing any of you talking about. Did you happen to buy a pair of rings for the little ceremony?"  
  
"Oh, I got something way better than that, believe me. It's in that box over there." –London pointed to a leather box that was on top of a table, which he carefully opened. What his eyes saw was simply fantastic.  
  
"Girl, I got say it, you have a terrific taste for three things: friends, girls and of course, jewellery…" –Mark told her, winking an eye to her. –"Maddie's going to love it."  
  
"You really think so?"  
  
"I wouldn't say it, if I wasn't sure about it, London." –Mark told her.  
  
At the same time, everything was ready downstairs. Everyone was taking their places in the ballroom, which had been arranged to accommodate all those who worked at the Tipton, and were happy for both London and Maddie. Ivanna and Scampy were running like mad, chasing each other through the amount of people that were inside the ballroom. Even they could feel that something truly magical was about to take place in a matter of minutes. The only ones standing outside were the Martin twins, accompanied by Barbara and Max. Carey and Moseby were also there, waiting for the girls to show up.  
  
"I'm so nervous… I even got goosebumps, just from thinking what's about to happen." –Moseby said.  
  
"Try to relax, Mr. Moseby, it's not like London and Maddie are going to marry… yet, that is." –Carey told him.  
  
"I know, I know, but… you know that I always get this emotional when it comes to things that involve either London, or Maddie." –Marion admitted. –"I never saw them as happy as they are, about anything in the world.  
  
Cody and Zack were both complimenting both Max and Barbara on the dresses they were wearing. Max was a wearing pink sleeveless dress that tied around the neck, while Barbara was wearing a simple, yet beautiful lime green dress. As for Cody and Zack, they were both wearing matching tuxedos, whose only difference was their bowtie; Cody's was blue, while Zack's was red.  
  
"You girls are very pretty tonight." –Cody said.  
  
"You boys are also very handsome, you know?" –Barbara said –"If I didn't know better, I would say that this is a desperate attempt from Zack to win Maddie's heart, one last time…" –she joked.  
  
"Nope, not this time. I already lost that battle to London, and you know what? I'm actually happy I did lose her to London, because Maddie deserves someone who gives her everything she wants, and well, London sure has a bank account big enough to give Maddie everything she deserves." –Zack said.  
  
Max and Cody, who had distanced themselves from Barbara and Zack for a moment, looked at each other and Max asked:  
  
"Are you sure that's your brother, and not a duplicate made by aliens to replace him?"  
  
"Yea, I'm sure it's him… unless, of course, if the alien duplicate doesn't know how to tie a bowtie, and has to be calling for my mom for almost 10 minutes, so she can tie it. But, why do you ask?" –Cody asked her curious.  
  
"It's because the Zack I'm used to see would most likely come up with a way to spoil this party, and make sure Maddie and London would argue with each other, so he could have a shot at winning Maddie's heart." –Max answered him, while looking to Zack, who was still talking to Barbara.  
  
"Well, according to what my mom told me, he and Maddie had a talk, and well, he finally admitted that things between the two of them were just not meant to be. I think that everyone in this hotel became a bit more mature over these last days, especially Zack, even though he won't admit it himself." –Cody explained.  
  
That's when Mark appeared, out of breath, after coming all the way from the top floor by the stairs. He leaned against a wall, trying to catch his breath.  
  
"Are they here yet?" –he asked Moseby, who approached him.  
  
"Who are you talking about exactly? If you're talking about Maddie and London, no, they're still not here." –Moseby told him.  
  
"I know that… I meant the surprise for them. It almost took me a miracle to get them here for this occasion, but they said they would come… So, are they here yet?"  
  
"Oh, them… yes, they are on backstage getting ready, as we speak." –Moseby said.  
  
"Excellent. I'm going to tell them to get ready, because those two are almost ready to come down, and I want this to go perfectly. I'll be right back!" –Mark said, as he sprinted into the backstage door.  
  
"What is he talking about?" –Carey asked Moseby, not understanding what was really going on.  
  
"Oh it's just a little something that he came up with for the ceremony, Carey. You'll see what it is in a little."  
  
Finally, both Maddie and London exited the suites they were in, and headed to the elevator. As each one of them pressed the button to call the elevator, their hearts began to pound like crazy. None of them could wait to see how the other one looked. Maddie looked herself in the elevator's mirror and felt good about herself. She was amazingly beautiful, and she knew it. Carey had done a fantastic job with her hair and make-up. They both spent almost an hour trying to decide how Maddie's hair should look like, and it seemed neither Maddie nor Carey would come to an agreement about it. Finally the both agreed that Maddie would look stunning with her hair flat iron, over her left shoulder. She smiled and mused to herself.  
  
"Alright, Maddie, this is it… It's the big night, and London will be waiting for you. Just calm down… and as soon as you see London… take a deep breath… and then, grab her and give her a huge kiss." –she teased herself, as she waited for the elevator doors to open.  
  
When the elevator doors open, Maddie saw herself in the lobby, with no one in sight. A few seconds later, the other elevator stopped and the doors opened, revealing a dazzling London, who looked like a real princess. In fact, when Maddie saw her, she tried to say something, but words just would not come out. The same thing happened to London, who could not take her eyes out of the blonde girl. She looked at Maddie from to top bottom, and kept telling herself that she was in the presence of an angel, an angel dressed in a majestic red and black dress. They both sighed, looking to one another.  
  
Guided only by instinct, Maddie did just what she told herself earlier. She approached London, placed her hands on the Asian's girl neck and gently placed her lips on London's, and gave her the sweetest of sweet kisses. When their tongues touched, it felt like a bomb had exploded inside them. Both girls inhaled each other's sweet fragrance. Maddie felt chills up her spine, as she smelled London's perfume, which reminded her of a fresh summer breeze. Maddie's perfume on the other hand, reminded London of a warm winter night by the fireplace. As always, both girls were the exact opposite of one another, and that suit them just fine. When they finally broke the kiss, both girls felt a little dizzy, most probably because of the lack of oxygen; still that did not prevent either of them from smiling.  
  
"You're beautiful… I don't mean that just because you're wearing a gorgeous dress, Blondie. As far as I'm concerned, you would look beautiful even wearing a rag dress." –London said, as she caressed Maddie's hair with her fingertips.  
  
"I extend the compliment to you, Princess… you look like if you had just came out of a dream." –Maddie whispered into London's ear, making her giggle.  
  
"Well, if I came out of a dream, you came with me out of that dream, sweetie." –London said, as someone approached them. It was Moseby, smiling as always.  
  
"Oh my, you two look like the most beautiful flowers of any garden in the world." –he stated, as he looked at them both. –"If you allow me to say it, you London, you look like a magnificent Vanda coerulea, and you Maddie, you look like a dazzling Scarlett Carson.  
  
"A what and a what?" –London asked Moseby, not understanding a word of what he had told her. –"Moseby, you're making me feel really dumb right now; because I didn't understand a word of that you just called us."  
  
That last statement made Maddie giggle a little, ending up letting out a couple of laughs. London was really the only person who could make her laugh like that.  
  
"What's so funny?" –London asked Maddie, still not understanding why she was laughing.  
  
When the blonde finally stopped giggling, she said:  
  
"That's Latin, London, a dead language. He said that you look like a blue orchid and that I look like a Scarlett Carson, which is a species of rose." –Maddie explained her.  
  
"Oh… that's why I didn't understand him." –London said, making Maddie giggle a little more. –"In any case, why would you call it a dead language, if Moseby's talking it?"  
  
Hearing her girlfriend, Maddie just giggle once again. She could hear her, whole day long and never get tired of her.  
  
"Come on, let's get going. Everyone's waiting for us." –Maddie said, as she grabbed London's hand and gently guided her into the entrance of the ball room.  
  
When both girls looked inside, they saw everyone smiling at them, which made them feel really happy. It was a special occasion, and both London and Maddie were happy to see everyone, and even though that was not a wedding, the atmosphere that it was inside the ball room, it made people feel like they were in one. The whole room was beautifully decorated. The tables all had a wreath of flowers in their centres. Wreath of flowers composed of fleur-de-lis, white roses and daisies. There was a huge table with a scrumptious buffet and a huge multi-layered cake covered in pink marzipan and little marzipan roses on it, with a white bow around its base. On top of it, there was a pair of wedding cake toppers that resembled Maddie and London. No doubt that Chef Paolo had outdone himself this time, because the cake looked absolutely delicious.  
  
All those smiles made Maddie and London feel so welcomed. Not on a million years would any of the two girls think that they would see themselves in such a situation, or think that so many people would be happy for them. A warmth feeling invaded the girls' hearts, making them smile.  
  
"Hey, everyone, we have arrived." –London said in her usual joyful voice.  
  
"You two are as pretty as a picture." –said Arwin, as he took a picture of them, with a camera that he himself had built. –"Watch the birdie!" –Both Maddie and London smiled to the camera, but inside they were giggling a little, all because Arwin's tuxedo, which was a brown tuxedo with a purple bow. That just revealed that Arwin was undoubtedly a great guy, and a swell friend, but when it came to his fashion sense, you could say that he did not have any. Still, the fact of him being there with a smile on his face, made up for his unusual tuxedo.  
  
"Thanks, Arwin, you look nice in that tuxedo." –Maddie told him, trying not to laugh. The blonde really did not want to laugh, but the more she looked at Arwin dressed like that, the harder it was not to.  
  
"Oh, this old rag? My mom gave it to me… it's not really my style, but since she had the trouble of buying it, it's only natural that I wear it from time to time." –Arwin told her.  
  
"Mystery solved…" –Maddie thought to herself, as she looked to the side and saw that London was talking to Zack and Cody, who were accompanied by Max and Barbara, as well as by their mother, Carey.  
  
"I know people already told you this, but you and Maddie look like two princesses." –Barbara said.  
  
"Thank you. I do admit that it was had for Brandi to make me look this beautiful, but not even close I would look prettier than Maddie. She just has something about her that makes her look one of a kind." –London answered her, with a smile on her face.  
  
"You really came a long way, London." –Max said. –"A few weeks ago, you would have aid that you perfect in every way, and that Maddie wasn't pretty, and that she had no taste when it came to her wardrobe."  
  
"She's right… you really came a long way." –Cody agreed.  
  
"Well, that was the old London. The old London only cared about herself and treated Maddie badly, ignoring her and making her feel bad, even though she was her best friend. You guys are looking to the new London… one that only has eyes for a very special girl, and that is incredibly happy about to have so many people around her, who care for her and for the girl she loves."  
  
The way she talked, made Barbara and Max shed a little tear. It was hard not to feel a little emotional after hearing that from London, a girl who until a couple of days ago, they thought would never change, worrying about only herself and about her massive wardrobe. Suddenly, Maddie surprised London by wrapping her arm around her waist and pulling her gently to a close embrace, and giving her a little peck on her lips.  
  
"What was that for?" –London asked Maddie with a sweet voice.  
  
"Do I really need a reason to kiss you?" –Maddie asked her, as she touched London's neck with her fingertips.  
  
"I guess not…" –the brunette said; as she returned the kiss, by also giving a small peck on her lips.  
  
"Oh, you two, get a room!" –Zack exclaimed, while laughing.  
  
"Not before they see the little surprise that I have for both of them." –a voice exclaimed, who turned out to be Mark, who was trying to get to them.  
  
"What? Another surprise? You're going to spoil us rotten…" –London declared.  
  
"Maybe, but you girls deserve it… and believe me… when I say that it was not easy to get them here on time." –Mark said, as he tried to catch his breath.  
  
"Who?" –both Maddie and London asked him.  
  
"Who? Just give me a couple of seconds to get to the stage and introduce them." –Mark said, as he left them and headed to the stage. In a matter of seconds, he was up on the stage with a microphone in his hand. When everyone saw that, they all became silent. Everyone, especially London and Maddie asked themselves, what had Mark been concocting.  
  
"Good evening, everyone. First of all, let me just tell you that what you're about to see is my present for the two lovely girls, who are the highlight of this evening's party. Two girls, whom I have the pleasure and the honour of being friend of… I do admit that it wasn't easy to organize this on such short notice, but hey, at least I made it. I hope you like it, and well, I hope that on your wedding day, I have the opportunity of doing something as crazy as this. And if you want to repay me this, well, I could always use a couple of more rare comic books on my collection…" said, making everyone chuckle a little. –"And now without any further delay, let me introduce you to the group that came here just to sing a song for Maddie and London… with you… the Backstreet Boys!" –Mark exclaimed, as he jumped out of the stage, and the red curtain went up and it showed the surprise guests standing there, ready to start the show.  
  
Nick, Brian, A.J., Howie and Kevin, the Backstreet Boys, London and Maddie's favourite pop band. Mark had a lot of trouble to get the five of them to come, especially Kevin, because at the time when he called them all, Kevin was on the other side of the country. As for the other four, they were in Chicago and I was easy for them to get to Boston in a couple of hours. Some would say that all that would have been a mission impossible… but not to Mark Stevenson; when he committed himself to do something he does everything in his power to achieve his goal. And now, there they were, the five magnificent, with one goal only; to sing a song for London and Maddie, as well as the rest of the party guests. Looking into the audience, they smiled and said.  
  
"Good evening! Just as our friend Mark has said, were here to sing a song for Miss London Tipton and Miss Madeline Fitzpatrick, as well to the rest of you." –Brian said. –"Maestro, music!"  
  
When the music started, the girls recognized it immediately. No doubt that Mark must have told them that that was their favourite song from the Backstreet Boys.  
  
 _Oh, yeah_  
  
 _I'd go anywhere for you_  
 _Anywhere you asked me to_  
 _I'd do anything for you_  
 _Anything you want me to (ohhh, ohhh)_  
  
As the song went on, Maddie grabbed London's hand and they started to dance, just like they had danced on the night they had professed their love. The rest of the guests, seeing that, also began to dance.  
  
 _Hey baby_  
  
 _I'd walk halfway around the world_  
 _For just one kiss from you_  
 _Far beyond the call of love_  
 _The sun, the stars, the moon_  
 _As long as your love is there to lead me_  
 _I won't lose my way, believe me_  
 _Even through the darkest night, you know oh oh_  
  
"Don't you feel this is a bit déjà vu?" –London asked Maddie, as she looked her in the eyes. –"I mean, it's not that I don't like it, because I actually like it, but, I feel like a bit like the night we declared to each other."  
  
"A little, and you know what, I like it." –Maddie sang to London's ear. –"It brings back some good memories." –she whispered, as she licked London's earlobe, making her giggle.  
  
"Maddie, stop it… Stop it, please." –the brunette giggled. –"Who am I kidding? I love it when you do that… Keep doing it, it tickles." –London said, as Maddie kept licking her ear.  
  
 _I'd go anywhere for you_  
 _Anywhere you asked me to_  
 _I'd do anything for you_  
 _Anything you want me to_  
 _Your love as far as I can see_  
 _Is all I'm ever gonna need_  
 _There's one thing for sure_  
 _I know it's true (I know it's true)_  
 _Baby, I'd go anywhere for you (for you) (ohhh)_  
  
The girls looked around and noticed who was dancing with whom. Everyone they knew was dancing the waltz at the sound of that beautiful song. They smiled when they saw that Zack was dancing with Max, and that Cody was dancing with Barbara, which was no surprise, because they knew that Cody liked Barbara very much, and that Zack had a crush on Max, as big as the one he had on Maddie prior to all that. They then noticed that Mark was dancing with Millicent, who kept smiling at him. Moseby was dancing with Brandi; but the biggest surprise for them was when they saw that Carey was dancing with Arwin, who proved himself to be an excellent dancer.  
  
 _I used to think that dreams were just_  
 _For sentimental fools_  
 _And I'd never find someone_  
 _Who'd give their love so true u u u_  
 _But I knew the very minute (ohh)_  
 _Couldn't live my life without you in it_  
 _Now I want the whole wide world to know (ohhh)_  
  
 _I'd go anywhere for you_  
 _Anywhere you asked me to_  
 _I'd do anything for you_  
 _Anything you want me to_  
 _Your love as far as I can see (see yeah)_  
 _Is all I'm ever gonna need_  
 _There's one thing for sure_  
 _I know it's true (I know it's true) (ohhh)_  
 _Baby, I'd go anywhere for you_  
  
"Never thought that I would see Carey and Arwin dancing like that." –Maddie told London.  
  
"I never thought that that klutz of Arwin would be able to dance that well, being a class A klutz on most things…" –London said, owning a couple of laughs from Maddie. –"It's true; he really is a klutz… a very nice and friendly klutz, but a klutz nonetheless."  
  
"Well, to Carey's eyes right now, he's no klutz. By her face, I can tell you that she's seeing on him, the same thing that I see in you, every time I look at you." –Maddie said, as she gave a small peck on London's lips.  
  
 _Hey baby, (hey) hey baby, hey baby, (nah)_  
 _Hey baby (hey baby), hey baby (oooh)_  
  
 _I'd go anywhere for you_  
 _Anywhere you asked me to_  
 _I'd do anything for you_  
 _Anything you want me to_  
 _Your love as far as I can see (I can see)_  
 _Is all I'm ever gonna need (need)_  
 _There's one thing for sure_  
 _I know it's true (I know it's true, I know it's true)_  
 _Baby_  
  
"And what is it that you see when you look at me?" –London asked Maddie.  
  
"Well, I don't know… there are so many things that I see when I look at you. I see that you're a kind person, who used to be a really spoiled girl… I see a beautiful girl with whom I fell in love with, who has a heart of gold…" –Maddie said.  
  
"A 24-carat pure gold heart, carved with diamonds, Maddie, don't forget it, you were the one who said it." –London teased her, smiling at her.  
  
"Okay, okay, a 24-carat pure gold heart, carved with diamonds…" –Maddie giggled. –"… but above all, every time I look at you, I know that I'd go anywhere for you…"  
  
"Now you're breaking the copyrights to their song…" –London laughed, making Maddie also laugh a little.  
  
"Oh, I think they won't mind…" –Maddie said, as she kissed London again, savouring the brunette's lips.  
  
 _I'd go anywhere for you (anywhere)_  
 _Anywhere you asked me to (I'll do anything)_  
 _I'd do anything for you (whatever you want me to)_  
 _Anything you want me to (ooh, yeah, oh baby, yeah)_  
 _Your love as far as I can see (see)_  
 _Is all I'm ever gonna need (gonna need)_  
 _There's one thing for sure_  
 _I know it's true (ohh)_  
 _Baby I'd go anywhere for you (ohhh)_  
  
 _For you (ohhh)_   
  
As the song ended, everyone applauded the band who thanked them, by singing a couple of more songs. Finally, the little concert ended, and the boys all went to the table where Muriel was. It just took her five minutes to make them regret the fact of choosing that particular table, as she went on telling stories about her life, some of them which never happened, and others like the time where Zack and Cody, and the rest of the hotel started to look for the legendary treasure of a gangster named Peppers, who had been Muriel's boyfriend, only to find out that the treasure was a cheap heart shaped locket, where it said "To Muriel, you're my greatest treasure.", meaning that Muriel herself had been the real treasure all along.  
  
As the party went on, Moseby decided that it was time for the ceremony. He went up to the stage, picked up one of the microphones and said that it was time for the ceremony. When they heard that, everyone took their places around the tables. Cody, Zack, Barbara, Max, Carey, Arwin, Mark, Steven, Esteban and Brandi all took places near the altar that had been assembled for the event, which Moseby was going to preside. In an unusual request, the Backstreet Boys were asked to chant "So This Is Love" from Cinderella, to accompany the whole thing. As the song went on, both Maddie and London walked through the red carpet, both giving hands, their minds started to wander a thousand miles an hour, thinking about everything each ne had lived until that moment. Both Maddie and London were really excited about all that. The party had been so beautiful to that point, that none of them even dared to think that it could get better. When they reached to the altar, Moseby smiled at them ad said:  
  
"Dearly beloved, we're gathered here today to celebrate the beginning of a relationship between two girls…" –he spoke out loud, and then whispered to both the girls: -"I really don't know what to say next, girls…"  
  
"You're doing fine, Moseby." –London whispered to him.  
  
"She's right, Mr. Moseby, you're doing just fine. Say a couple of more words, and then, let us read our vows to each other." –Maddie suggested, to which Moseby winked his eye in accordance.  
  
"Well, before going on with the ceremony, I have a few words that I would like to say, and don't worry because I'll be brief… and I was addressing to you, Zack Martin." –Moseby said, causing everyone to giggle a little, especially Cody who was sitting right next to his brother. –"Either way… as I was saying, I have a few words to say. A relationship such as this one it's like… like a big hotel, such as this one. You have the responsibility to make sure that everything in it is alright, and the only way to do that is to make sure that both parts in a relationship are honest to each other… What I'm trying to say, is that you girls both have everything that it's needed to be the happiest couple in Boston, if not in the whole world, and I just hope that I'm alive and well to go to your wedding…"  
  
The last part of his speech made Moseby feel a little emotional, as well as some of the other guests. He could not keep himself from shedding a couple of tears. London smiled, because she knew that even though Moseby tried to look strong in front of everyone, he was a big softy. That said, Maddie and London got ready to say their vows. Since none of them had read them before all that, whatever it was written on them was a complete mystery to the girls.  
  
"And now, London and Maddie have asked to exchange their own vows, so, let's hear them." –Moseby said.  
  
The girls opened the envelopes and quickly read to themselves what was written on them. Maddie recognized immediately a couple of sentences from Steven's Fire Trinity Trilogy in her vows, and was wondered with what she was going to read to London. As for London, she loved her vows, and thought that not in a million years would she ever be able to write such beautiful words about anyone. Smiling, London started:  
  
"Maddie, you are God's precious gift to me, my springtime, my ray of hope, my joy, my beautiful sparkling diamond… You are everything that's good and pure and true and I adore you with my mind, my body and with my soul. How blessed I am to be able to say that you are mine, to be able to love you, kiss you, touch you and cherish you with my whole soul. My only wish is to always put you first in my life, always be there to comfort you in your sorrow and to rejoice with you in your victories. Not all the money in the world could buy the feelings that I feel for you right now… You taught me so much through our friendship… especially the fact that true love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. You're my lover, my guardian angel, but above all, you're my best friend, and I hope, that one day I may be able to be worthy of your love." –London said, always smiling, as Maddie took a deep breath and began:  
  
"Love is patient, love is kind. Love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. Love is like a burning fire, which consumes you slowly, but in a good way… it's a burning desire that I nurture for you, and for everything that you stand for. Love is a fire that burns without being seen; it's a wound that hurts without being felt; it's an unhappy happiness; it's a pain that drives you crazy without hurting. It does not insist on its own way; it does not rejoice in wrong doing, but rejoices in the truth. I fell in love with you not only because of your outer beauty, but also because of your inner beauty, London. You're my friend, my lover, my guardian angel, and above all, you are the girl that stole my heart, and who now owns it, forever and ever." –Maddie said, while a single tear started to run across her cheek.  
  
Hearing those words spoken by each of the girls, almost everyone in the room shed a couple of tears. Maddie and London also shed a few tears because of the emotion.  
  
"And now, according to what London has told me, it's time for them to exchange rings." –Moseby said. –"Girls, where are the rings?"  
  
"Oh, there aren't any rings." –London said with her spiffy voice.  
  
"There aren't?" –Moseby and Maddie exclaimed in chorus.  
  
"Nope, I decided that Blondie and I deserve something way better…Zack, Cody, you can let them go now." –London ordered them.  
  
Zack and Cody left their seats for a second and went to the opposite side of the ballroom. They grabbed the two guests that were waiting for their time to show up… Ivanna and Scampy, London and Maddie's pets. They had been dressed by the twins, Ivanna with a bride's maid dress, and Scampy had been dressed with a tuxedo, which proved to be a challenge for both Cody and Zack. Still, it was worth it… they would be the ones carrying the little surprise that London had for Maddie. Side by side, the dogs arrived on their backs a small box, the same box that Mark had seen upstairs in her suite. He quickly turned to his dad and whispered:  
  
"Maddie's going in for a surprise… a really big surprise, dad."  
  
"What exactly is in that box, Mark?" –Stephen asked his son.  
  
"You'll see in a moment."  
  
Maddie looked to Ivanna and Scampy carrying the box on their backs, and wondered what could have London come up with this time. London gently kneeled and grabbed the box with her left hand, while she petted the two dogs with her right hand. She put the box on top of the altar, and swiftly opened it revealing its content. Maddie's eyes almost jumped out of their orbits, as she looked at the box's content. Inside were a beautiful diamond and ruby necklace and a matching tiara with one huge diamond… the same ones that London had bought a few days earlier. When she bought them, never she would have thought that they would play such a part in her life.  
  
"One of the things that we billionaires say is, if you really want something good, shoot for the Moon… The necklace is for you, Blondie, and the tiara, well…" –London said.  
  
"It's for you, Princess." –Maddie completed London's sentence.  
  
"Yes, you can say that." –London giggled.  
  
Getting ready, London picked up the necklace, and Maddie picked up the tiara. Smiling, they both exchanged the items.  
  
"This necklace is a symbol of our friendship and of my love for you, sweetie, and I hope you accept it." –London said, as she put the necklace around Maddie's neck.  
  
"I'll accept it, if you accept this tiara, which is a symbol of our friendship and of my love for you, sweetheart. –Maddie said, as she placed the tiara on top of London's head. –"You look like a princess, Princess." –she whispered to the brunette.  
  
"You look extremely pretty yourself, Blondie." –London whispered to Maddie's ear.  
  
"And with that, I pronounce you… hmm… I don't really now what to pronounce you, girls." –Moseby told them.  
  
"Well… since this isn't a wedding or an engagement party… you could pronounce us girlfriends." –Maddie suggested.  
  
"That's a good idea… I hereby pronounce you girlfriend and girlfriend… you may kiss now." –Moseby told them. London and Maddie gave a small peck on each one's lips, to which Zack booed saying:  
  
"You call that kiss? Come on, even I kiss better than that!"  
  
"For once Zack's right, girls… you call that a kiss from someone who's mad in love?" –Carey exclaimed.  
  
The girls turned to each other and could not help but to laugh a little. A mischievous smile appeared on both girls faces.  
  
"We might as well give them what they want, don't you agree Blondie?"  
  
Words were not needed to answer London's question, as Maddie started to French kissing her, to the sound of the applause of everyone that was in the ballroom. Even Ivanna and Scampy barked joyfully, seeing their owners and mistresses so happy. It was a dream come true, not only for Maddie and London, but for everyone that had helped them start on that beautiful and wonderful relationship. The applauses went on as they kept kissing each other, which was more than a minute. Cody turned to the side, to see his brother shedding a couple of tears.  
  
"Are those happiness tears, or sadness tears?" –he asked Zack.  
  
"Both… I'm sad because now I really lost the love of my life, and I'm happy because her heart now belongs to someone who deserves her." –Zack told Cody, as he wiped those tears. Cody smiled, seeing his brother acting so maturely.


	18. Epilogue

Even though the highlight of that amazing night was when Maddie and London read their vows to each other, the funniest one was when Mark wanted to take a picture of the whole group, and it proved to almost be a mission impossible, because everyone wanted to stay in front, or right next to London and Maddie, who would stay at the centre of the photo, or o because he could not program the camera's timer in order to have time to pose for the photo. Finally, he managed to put the whole group in position, as well as program the timer, and he snapped the photo. He promised that everyone would get a copy of the photo, already framed.  
  
A couple of weeks went by, after that night. London wanted to go on a sort of honeymoon with Maddie, but Maddie told her that they should wait a couple of weeks, to go somewhere. Not only because Maddie had to come up with an excuse for her parents, but also because none of them really knew where they would like to go. At school, during recess, they tried to decide where to go, and what kind of excuse they would give Maddie's parents. Zack, Cody, Mark, Barbara and Max also helped them, but it seemed none of them really had a good idea as to where the girls should spend a little vacation together. Finally, London remembered that she was supposed to go to Paris at the end of that month to go shopping. So, they decided to take advantage of that, and go to Paris for a whole week. They would be staying at the Paris's Tipton, which had been the latest Tipton hotel to be built in Europe. As for the excuse, they came up with the idea of telling Maddie's parents that Maddie and London, as well as a couple more students from school had to do a school assignment about the city of Paris, and she had asked London to fly her and the other to Paris, so they could do the assignment, rather just looking for information on encyclopaedias, books and the Internet. It was hard to convince Maddie's mom to let her go, but with a little persuasion from Maddie's dad, she ended up agreeing to let the blonde girl fly to Paris.  
  
A couple of days later, the girls were off to Paris, for a romantic week. Mark and the twins also went with them, and they had a very important job. While Maddie and London had fun together, they would have to take pictures of the city, just in case they would need any kind of proofs that they did that assignment.  
  
When they were already over the Atlantic, a little problem issued. London was one of the most famous celebrities in the world, and she was bounded to have a whole squadron of paparazzi after her, trying to get a photo or a story. That would not happen in Boston because her dad had paid a fortune to every tabloid in the country to not harass her while she was in Boston, but being out of Boston, and out of the country, that was another story. If they found out that she was dating Maddie that would get them both in big trouble… after they told their parents the truth, the paparazzi finding it out would not be an issue, but before that, that would ruin their secret. Everyone put their heads together, and tried to come up with a solution. In the end, it was Zack's suggestion which seemed the best… they would disguise themselves.  
  
"Are you sure there really isn't another away?" –London whined a little, because she was not entirely sure that that was such a good idea.  
  
"Don't worry, you're working with a master of the disguise. I can become whoever I want to, and I can also do the same thing with anyone I know." –Mark said with an evil smile on his face.  
  
"I hate when you smile like that." –Cody said. –"You remind of me Zack, when he has one of his crazy ideas."  
  
"All I'm going to need is a little make up, and a few other things."  
  
As promised, when they got to the hotel, the first thing they did was to come up with a disguise for Maddie and London. Since none of them wanted to dye their hairs, Mark opted for a pair of wigs. Maddie would pass as a brunette, and to make sure that no one would recognize her, they used make-up to make her skin even lighter. As for London, Mark chose a less conservative look for her. He decided to give her a light blue wig with a bowl cut, and opted for a wardrobe that reminded the Asian brunette of the clothes that some of the girls she used to see in the streets of Shibuya district, every time she visited Tokyo to go shopping.  
  
Deep inside her, Maddie did not like one bit of the idea of having to be disguised in order to spend some time with London; but she knew that it was the only way, at least until they told their parents about their relationship. In order to cheer her up, Cody, Zack and Mark also decided to play along, and disguise themselves too, even though they did not need. Cody and Zack decided to try a different look, and were both quite pleased with the result. Cody adopted a bad boy look, while Zack adopted a more conservative look. As for Mark himself, he decided to dye his hair red auburn, a colour which London said that combined with the colour of his eyes.  
  
When Mark finished his work, all of them looked unrecognizable. They were all wearing wigs and make up and clothes, that no one who knew them in person, would dare to say that they were who they said they were. Looking themselves in the mirror, they knew that they were going to have a blast… all of them.  
  
A little later, already on the second level of the Eiffel Tower, the five friends were gazing into the beautiful city of Paris, which went on as far as their eyes could see, when Mark decided that then it was the time for them to take a photo for his collection of celebrity photos.  
  
"But no one will recognize us." –Zack said. –"In fact, I wouldn't recognize myself, if I looked myself in the mirror right now."  
  
"You told us that you loved your new bad boy look." –Cody said.  
  
"Well, yeah, I like it, but I didn't say that I liked it enough to get a picture taken, especially on top of this tower." –Zack said.  
  
"Stop saying nonsense, and get ready, while I get the camera ready, and one of you go and get those two, so we can all be on the picture." –Mark told the twins, as he took the camera out of his backpack.  
  
The air was quite chilly up there, and the wind was blowing with a little strength. Still, that did not prevent the girls from enjoying each other's company and the magnificent view of Paris.  
  
"You know, if anyone would tell me that I would end up declaring my love to you, and that you would take me for a romantic week in Paris, I would have said that that person was either insane or just plain old crazy." –Maddie said, as she tightened the scarf she was wearing around her neck.  
  
"I agree with you… but you know what? My mom once said that life is full of surprises. One minute you're somewhere, the other you don't know where you will be." –London smiled at Maddie.  
  
"Your mom sure gives out a couple of nifty advices." –Maddie said.  
  
"Well, it's the only thing she does well… even though she doesn't follow her own advices." –London giggled. She then noticed that Maddie was smiling, while looking at her. –"What is it?"  
  
"I know that you don't agree with me on this, but right now… when I look at you, wearing that blue wig, and those beautiful clothes… you really look like Brenda Song on "A 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd"… I just can't help it." –Maddie giggled, as her fingers ran through London's wig, and then caressed her face, tenderly.  
  
London just smiled at her, as she took a little mirror she had inside her purse, and started to look at herself. She really did not want to admit it, but she really looked like the actress right then, and in fact, she liked to see herself looking like that. She decided that in the near future, she would dye her hair baby blue, because after all, it was a very pretty colour.  
  
"You're right; I really look like her, ad you know what, Maddie? I was wrong; I would really like to dye my hair baby blue." –London said, as she put the mirror back in her purse, while Maddie smiled at her.  
  
The girls were getting ready to kiss again, when the twins appeared, calling them.  
  
"Come on, lovebirds, Mark wants to take a photo of the five us…" –Zack said.  
  
"Lead the way, guys." –London said, as she gave her hand to Maddie.  
  
The wind started to blow harder than before, but not even that stopped Mark or any of the others from posing for the photo. Maddie and London embraced each other, while Cody and Zack kneeled next to each other. Mark decided to stay next to Maddie. He pushed the timer and ran to where he was supposed to stay in the photo. When the timer reached zero, their image and that specific moment in time, was forever captured.  
  
"You know, it's as if we were looking at five different people." –Mark said, as he showed the picture of them, with the sight of Paris on their back, on the camera's screen to the others.  
  
"Like evil versions of ourselves." –Zack said.  
  
"No, not evil… just really different from our true selves." –Maddie replied.  
  
"Like from another dimension?" –Cody asked.  
  
"Yeah, like that." –Maddie said.  
  
"You guys have been all reading too many comic books." –London suggested, while she let out a little giggle.  
  
"Come on, everyone. We still have to get to the top of the tower, and we won't get there if we just stand around here." –Mark said. –"Besides, I still want to have lunch at my favourite Parisian restaurant, Gusteau's."


End file.
